The New London Pollution Charge — May Be Mayor Sadiq Khan’s ‘Poll Tax Moment’
The title of this post is the same as that of a news story in today’s Sunday Times.
This is the first paragraph.
The ‘ultra-low emission zone’ will force 1m motorists to pay the £12.50 daily charge — or get off the road,
The Sunday Times has done a detailed analysis and makes the following points about the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
- About a million vehicles will be liable to the new levy.
- The ULEZ charge of £12.50 will be a nice little earner for Transport for London (TfL).
- The ULEZ charge will raise three times as much as the Congestion Charge.
- It could collect up to £1.5billion per year.
- Some people will be paying £4,000 a year to drive their own car.
- Initially, the charge will only be levied in Central London, but after 2021, it will apply inside the North and South Circular Roads.
- The Sunday Times has read some TfL impact assessments.
Reading the full article convinces me, that I made the right decision to give up driving.
I am in favour of the ULEZ, as I suffer from pollution and I don’t have a driving licence because my eyesight was damaged by a stroke.
But Sadiq Khan seems to have forgotten a lesson of recent history, where the City of Westminster voted down his laudable aim of pedestrianising part of Oxford Street.
On that issue, he should have pedestrianised all of it. Just as the City of London seems to be doing!
But the motoring lobby gave Westminster a good kicking and do you think, they will be less active at the ballot box in the next Mayoral Election?
Few would vote for someone, who would tax them an extra £4,000 a year.
Sadiq Khan is a well-meaning politically-correct lightweight, who doesn’t think through the effects of his promises.
The Anonymous Widower 
I don’t think he’s being ‘politically correct’ in this case, In attempting to reduce pollution he is being entirely correct, but I agree it might have unintended political consequences for him.
Comment by Mark Townend | December 14, 2018 |