ULEZ Expansion - the Right Policy, Implemented Badly
The Liberal Democrats are committed to fighting to improve air quality for Bromley residents - where thousands of lives are prematurely cut short due to pollution each year and many more suffer from asthma. The health of the elderly and children are particularly badly impacted by heavy air pollution. Improving air quality in Bromley, and across the country, is something the Liberal Democrats believe in passionately.
However, expanding the ULEZ from 29 August 2023 without a more comprehensive scrappage scheme and without significant investment in Bromley's public transport is reckless and punishes people going about their daily lives to and from work - introducing a daily £12.50 charge people can ill-afford when facing a cost-of-living crisis that represents the most sustained squeeze on incomes for generations. It demonstrates how out of touch the mayor is with ordinary people that he has not provided more support for those on the lowest incomes. Whilst 85% of cars in Bromley will not be subject to any charge, for the 15% that will, the charge will represent a deeply unfair punishment without more financial support and time to enable Bromley's residents to upgrade, or retrofit, their cars/vans.
Despite the objections of the majority of residents in outer London Boroughs, Labour Mayor Sadiq Khans announcement demonstrated calls for improvements to the scheme had fallen on deaf ears. Bromley Liberal Democrats are disappointed that the time frame for implementation has not been lengthier to give people more time to upgrade and concessions for those on lower incomes have not been greater. The charge is likely to have a disproportionate effect on people on lower incomes as well as many public service workers, such as Nurses, who work shifts, rely on their cars to get to work.
Bromley Lib Dem Environment Spokesperson, Councillor Julie Ireland, is publicly urging the Mayor to delay the implementation to allow for the introduction of a much more comprehensive scrappage scheme to lessen the burden for local residents to change their vehicles. Bromley Liberal Democrats are also asking for more sustained investment in public transport in the borough, so that people have a reliable and reasonably priced alternative to making car journeys. So often the outer boroughs are neglected by City Hall when it comes to funding infrastructure and transport improvements, an after-thought. This needs to change.
Bromley Liberal Democrats will continue to fight for improvements to this ill-thought out ULEZ expansion scheme. It is the right policy, but Labours London Mayor has scored an own goal by implementing it in such a way that punishes people trying to make ends meet going about their daily lives.
If you want to help us continue to fight for changes to the ULEZ scheme, please join the Liberal Democrats today and/or join our local mailing list here.