ULEZ extension: it’s not too late to make it work

On 29 August 2023 the Ultra Low Emissions Zone was extended to include additional boroughs in Greater London, including the London Borough of Bromley. Vehicles that fail to comply with the scheme now face a daily charge of £12.50 to be used on roads in the borough and throughout the capital.

From day one, we have been clear we support the environmental ambitions behind this policy. Access to clean air is essential to the health and wellbeing of London’s 10 million residents and is a step towards safeguarding the future of our planet. Tackling the climate crisis requires bold action.

But the chaotic scenes across London on the day of the extension prove just how angry sections of the public are at the way the policy has been implemented. The Mayor’s decision to push ahead instead of listening to legitimate concerns and allowing residents more time to prepare has damaged trust, alienated those who might otherwise support green policies, and created profound difficulties for people going about their daily lives.

Businesses that rely on the roads to deliver goods and services now face additional costs that many will struggle to meet to keep their doors open.

Hospital outpatients and individuals with disabilities who cannot access public transport can no longer rely on their vehicle (or that of a carer who can drive) to access vital treatment. Nurses who work irregular hours in healthcare will now struggle to get to work in time for their shifts.

Above all, the policy has been forced through during a prolonged cost-of-living crisis which lands 15% of Bromley’s vehicle-owners with a double-whammy of costs to upgrade their car or van, and daily charges they can ill-afford.  

This reality is not lost on residents across the borough, and some have taken the law into their own hands by vandalising the scheme’s automatic plate recognition cameras. This vigilantism serves no one. But it is indicative of the strength of feeling on the issue. 

Thankfully, it’s not too late to make ULEZ work for everyone. 

To do this, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan must do three things. Firstly, he must halt the roll-out of daily charges and fines for non-payment until residents have had adequate time to budget and prepare for a future with the scheme in place.

Second, he should introduce a far more comprehensive scrappage scheme to make it easier and more affordable for those with non-compliant cars to upgrade them. While he did thankfully make a last-minute extension to the scrappage scheme, it came far too late in the day for many to apply, while those who had already upgraded their vehicles at great expense missed out. A better scrappage scheme with backdated reimbursements will help ensure a fairer deal.

Finally, increased and sustained investment in public transport is needed across Bromley to ensure those who are priced off the roads have reliable and affordable alternative means of travel. As the national economy continues to stutter forward, it is vital that residents can get to work, access shops and community services including healthcare, and visit loved ones. The Mayor’s record on public transport in Bromley has been woeful in recent years and he now has an opportunity to put that right. 

It is disappointing but not surprising that both the Conservative and Labour parties in Westminster have chosen to play political games with this issue instead of engaging constructively with residents to pursue solutions. The government has previously given financial support to vehicle-owners in other cities faced with impacts from similar schemes, but to date have shown no willingness to extend the same support to the outer London boroughs. 

While we cannot rely on the government to step in, Bromley Liberal Democrats will continue fighting hard locally to ensure the concerns of residents across the borough are heard. ULEZ has laudable aims, but it must be implemented in a way that gives residents across London a fair deal.