Conservative MPs, Councillors and our London Assembly Member Peter Fortune are demanding that the Labour Mayor of London abandon his plans for a new drivers’ tax - which will hit the poorest the hardest.
Last summer, the Mayor announced plans to extend the so-called Ultra-Low Emission Zone to cover all of London. 66% of those who responded objected to the plans. In November the Mayor said he would ignore this result and continue with the new tax, despite Bromley’s air quality being among the cleanest in London.
If Labour’s plans go ahead, then some drivers face a daily charge of at least £12.50 just to use their vehicles. This is despite the lack of public transport alternatives to driving available in boroughs like Bromley.
Member of Parliament, Bob Stewart, said:
“While Bromley has some of the cleanest air in London we all accept it can be cleaner, but extending the ULEZ is the wrong answer. This rushed scheme is a shameless cash-grab from the Mayor, and it’s the poorest and most vulnerable who will be hit hardest. That is why we are fighting this and want the Mayor to go back to the drawing board. This type of policy is designed for inner-London and has been shown to have virtually no impact on air pollution in places such as Bromley”.
