The Uleez extension has come into effect. (PA)
The controversial expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has come into effect.
On Tuesday, the capital became the world’s biggest pollution chargeer after the extension of Ulez.
Motorists who drive a vehicle that does not meet minimum emissions standards in Greater London must now pay a £12.50 daily charge or risk fines.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who has faced stiff opposition to the expansion, insisted on Tuesday that the plan was not “anti-car”, claiming nine out of 10 cars in outer London already conform to it.
WATCH: What is London’s Uleez and how will it affect drivers?
The new rules have been mired in controversy. Seven councils neighboring London tried to stop the expansion before losing a High Court battle – six of them subsequently refused to sign a deal with TfL to install warning signs, leaving motorists without Was let off without notice and faced a fine.
On the eve of the extension, a tribunal also found that Ulez’s signs “may be illegal” as it ruled in favor of a scaffolder who refused to pay a fine, saying that the signs did not provide sufficient details about the penalty. do not provide.
There have also been regular protests against the plan and anti-Ulez vigilantes have targeted enforcement cameras installed in new areas.
To reduce the impact on people, the £160 million scrappage scheme run by Transport for London (TfL) enables residents, small businesses, sole traders and charities scrapping non-compliant cars to claim the grant.
Yahoo News brings you all the important information you need to know:
What is Uleez? The Ultra-Low Emissions Zone was introduced in April 2019 to tackle the poor air quality in London. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week (except on Christmas Day) and requires drivers of vehicles that do not meet emissions standards to pay a daily fee.
The scheme is administered by Transport for London (TfL) and, following its expansion on Tuesday, now covers all the boroughs of Greater London.
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How much does the Ulez charge? Vehicles that do not meet the emissions standards required for the ULEZ zone must pay a fee of £12.50 per day to drive in or through the zone. This fee covers the period from midnight to midnight. Vehicle owners who fail to pay the fee by midnight on the third day following travel in or through the Uleez zone may be fined £180.
Those who do not follow the ulez rules or do not pay the daily fee can be fined. (File)
What is Scrappage Scheme and who can apply?
The Scrappage Scheme allows people whose vehicles do not comply with ULEZ to receive a grant if they scrap their vehicles.
When changes to the boundaries for the zone were announced, the scrappage scheme was also expanded to cover Greater London.
The scheme previously covered child benefit recipients, low-income earners and people with disabilities, but now all Londoners with non-Ulage compliant cars or motorcycles can apply.
All London residents can apply for up to £2,000 to scrap a car or up to £1,000 to scrap a motorcycle.
Small businesses and individual traders will also receive £21,000 to scrap up to three vans, while £27,000 will be available to charities to replace three minibuses.
Other additional assistance includes higher payments for switching to an electric vehicle, for donations with old vans, and for retrofitting an existing vehicle. The grant for replacement of wheelchair accessible vehicles will be doubled to £10,000.
How do I apply for Scrappage Scheme?
You will need to check through the TfL website to find out if you are eligible for the Scrappage Scheme.
First it will ask for your postcode, then tell you if you’re eligible and how much help you can get.
People demonstrated outside the High Court, where five Conservative-led councils unsuccessfully challenged London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s intention to extend London’s ultra low emissions zone. (PA)
Which cars are exempt from Uleez?
Cars that do not have to pay ulez include cars that meet Euro emission standards for their particular vehicle class. According to TfL, these are:
Euro 3 for motorcycles, mopeds, motorized tricycles and quadricycles (L category)
Euro 4 (NOX) for petrol cars, vans, minibuses and other specialist vehicles.
Euro 6 (NOx and PM) for diesel cars, vans and minibuses and other specialist vehicles.
Overall, the Greater London Authority believes that no more than 90% of vehicles in the capital will have to pay the fee.
What is the UL’s NOx limit?
To comply with London’s ULEZ regulations, a vehicle must meet Euro 6 emission standards for nitrogen oxides (NOx) and particulate matter (PM). It requires that the vehicle emit no more than 80 mg/km of NOx and 4.5 mg/km of PM.
Motorcycles, mopeds, motorized tricycles and quadricycles must meet Euro 3 emissions. (Getty)
Why are people against it?
Those who do not support the expansion, or indeed the existence, of the Uleez argue that the system unfairly penalizes those who are unable to buy new cars that meet the emissions targets set by the scheme.
A petition on Change.org opposing the extension of the ulez describes it as a “stealth tax” that should not be extended to residential areas where transport links are poor.
Hillingdon council leader Ian Edwards told the Evening Standard: “Our residents are telling us that low-income and elderly families will be hardest hit by this tax, as well as local businesses.”
Why do people support it?
Those in favor of the plan say it is necessary to reduce harmful vehicle emissions and make the capital’s air cleaner and safer for those who live and work there.
Indeed, there are concerns that some of London’s outer boroughs are seeing harmful levels of pollution – and Khan has argued that clean air is a right that should not be reserved for those living in the city centre.
Oliver Lord, head of strategy for the Clean Cities Campaign, pointed to Cromwell Road in Kingston, south-west London, as an example of an area where pollution was out of control.
“It has been showing illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide for 12 years, even though they were supposed to expire in 2010,” he told The Guardian. “A whole generation of children has grown up with harmful levels of air pollution in Kingston.”
“We shouldn’t pit a carer with a car against a mother looking after her son with asthma in hospital.”
How did Rishi Sunak try to stop it?
According to The Telegraph, in mid-August, the prime minister and his government decided to reject Ulez’s extension after consulting lawyers.
Ministers are considering the use of legal power to oppose the mayor’s move to expand the area to cover the whole of Greater London.
The reason cited was that it was “inconsistent with national policies.” According to legal advice, this bid will be rejected if challenged in court by City Hall.
ulez cameras vandalized
Resentment in some areas towards the Uleez led to sabotage of Uleez cameras.
The Metropolitan Police said it had recorded 288 crimes related to the cameras as of 1 August, and released an image of a suspect.
Anti-Ulez vigilantes have repeatedly targeted the cameras in recent months.
Unusual Ways to Avoid Ulez Payments
Despite anger among motorists over the new charges, some have taken advantage of the new rules to look for alternative options.
Some vehicles, such as military vehicles, specialist agricultural vehicles and excavators, can be used to bypass the charge.
But be careful to check TfL’s exact rules.
Scaffolder wins legal battle against Uleez
Noel Wilcox, 48, who runs a scaffolding company in Hertfordshire, won a legal battle against Uleez after refusing to pay an £11,500 fine for driving the company’s lorry from a depot in north west London.
A tribunal found in his favor that Ulez’s signs “may be illegal”, saying he had rightly argued that the signage did not provide sufficient detail regarding penalties.
– Ulez hinted it ‘could be illegal’ after tribunal ruling (Daily Telegraph, 4 minutes)
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