Sadiq Khan must “reconsider” his plan to expand the capital’s ULEZ between Hertsmere and Barnet, the local authority has said..
At a Hertsmere Borough Council meeting on Wednesday, January 25, politicians agreed to tell the Mayor of London a plan to charge drivers who use the most polluting vehicles will harm Hertfordshire drivers.
They said the plan to expand ULEZ – or Ultra Low Emission Zone – charging would particularly harm Potters Bar motorists after the town’s only bus link to Barnet – three miles away – was scrapped in April 2022.
The existing zone covers the area between the North Circular and South Circular roads, with drivers of the most polluting vehicles faced with a £12.50 daily charge.
But from August 29 this year, Transport for London will begin charging drivers on roads throughout Greater London – including the M1, A1 and A41 south of the Hertfordshire border.
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“I agree that something needs to be done to control emissions, but not in a way that puts such a financial burden on those who can least afford it,” said Conservative councillor Anne Swerling (Bushey Park).
“Is the Mayor of London’s approach the best way to go about it?
“For those Hertsmere residents who live near the border with a London authority, for example, those who travel to Stanmore London Underground station for work, will have to pay a daily fee of £12.50 on top of their travelling expenses if their cars do not comply.
“We all know the financial difficulties people are facing at this time, and to change one’s car to comply is a further added expense, and neither one favourable to the environment.
“To target those who can least afford to update those cars, in particular key workers and pensioners, is unfair.”
Potters Bar Parkfield councillor Paul Hodgson-Jones (Con) added the council must call on Sadiq Khan to restore a bus link between Potters Bar and Barnet, via Hadley, Highstone before the ULEZ expands.
The missing link was previously plugged by route 84 which was withdrawn last year, 110 years after it first launched.
More than 900 residents wrote to political leaders earlier this month in a bid to see the bus link restored.
“There are other parts of the borough which will be severely impacted by the ULEZ, but they have public transport connections,” Cllr Hodgson-Jones said.
“In Potters Bar, we lost our public transport connection.”
As part of the ULEZ expansion, the Mayor of London has announced a £110million scrappage and retrofit scheme for some motorists – but claimants must live in a London borough or the City to access funding.
Research by Imperial College London suggests more than 4,000 Londoners died from causes linked to air pollution in 2019.
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In a November 2022 statement, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (Lab) said: “The latest evidence shows that air pollution is making us sick from cradle to grave.
“Londoners are developing life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma.
“And it’s especially dangerous for children due to the long-lasting impact on their health and life chances, with kids in our city growing up with stunted lungs.
“The ULEZ so far has been transformational, reducing harmful pollution levels by almost a half in central London."
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