The decision by the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, to extend the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the Outer London Boroughs, and charge those with older petrol and diesel vehicles £12.50 a day to drive in those areas, has caused huge consternation for many of my constituents who need to travel into any of our nearby London Boroughs for work, hospital appointments, family visits and leisure activities.
As transport in London is devolved to the Mayor of London there is no legal requirement for the Mayor to consult either central or local Government on the decision to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone, so there is very little I can do to change things.
I was very pleased to see local Brentwood councillors Keith Barber and Will Russell put forward objections to the extension to ULEZ. submitted a motion to the Council stating they believe the ULEZ expansion to be a regressive tax inflicted upon the poorest motorists and is to the detriment of residents living here in Brentwood.
The motion goes on to call on the Council to oppose the expansion proposal and support Essex County Council in not co-operating with the installation of any signage to support such an expansion.
Like me, the Council has very limited influence on what the Mayor of London chooses to do, but I am pleased to see the motion in place.
A lot of people have been challenging the Mayor on the figures he has produced linking premature deaths to air pollution, and the impact on areas where public transport is poor and local people rely on cars to get around or vans to carry tools and equipment for work. Elderly constituents and local tradespeople have been in touch with me saying they cannot afford to replace their vehicles but cannot afford to pay drive into Havering the work or care for members of their families.
I would encourage all constituents who will be affected by this cash-grab tax by the Mayor to write to him here: https://www.london.gov.uk/who-we-are/what-mayor-does/contact-city-hall-or-mayor/complaints
