Lib Dems demand national scrappage scheme

One week on from a High Court decision not to halt ULEZ, Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor has written to the Department for Transport calling for a national scrappage scheme.

In response to the imminent expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone to the outer London border, the Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor, has written to the Department of Transport, urging for the implementation of a national scrappage scheme to support residents, businesses, and charities affected by the changes.

The ULEZ expansion, set to take place at the end of this month, will have devastating effects for some residents in Watford, despite the town being located outside the zone covered by the expansion. In his letter, Peter Taylor highlighted that many Watford residents commute and visit London, meaning they will soon be subjected to the daily charge of £12.50, impacting their daily lives and finances.

Recognizing the importance of promoting good air quality, the Mayor acknowledged the need for action on the environment but questioned the speed of the ULEZ extension and the lack of scrappage scheme. Residents on low incomes and those with disabilities will struggle to make the change to less polluting vehicles in time without support from the government.

Elected Mayor of Watford, Peter Taylor said:

“Residents in Watford pay into the TfL budget and they deserve to be included in the London scrappage scheme. I have lobbied Sadiq Khan for this but those requests have been ignored.

“A government backed scrappage scheme is the last chance for some of our most vulnerable residents to gain the support to switch to a new vehicle and avoid paying £12.50 a day. I hope the government listen and act.“

Read the full letter here

UPDATE:

On 4th August, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan announced that all owners of non-compliant cars in London would be eligible for support. However, this does not stretch out to areas like Watford which are outside the ULEZ but could still be affected.

Commenting on these plans to expand the ULEZ scrappage scheme, Elected Mayor of Watford Peter Taylor said:

“This is welcome news for residents of London who are going to be hit by the ULEZ charge at the end of the month. Unfortunately this does nothing for the thousands of Watford and Hertfordshire residents who travel into London for work or provide care for releatives.

“The government need to create a national scrappage scheme so that everyone in Watford and other areas across the country on the edge of clean air zones can move to cleaner vehicles. Time is running out. The government must act now.”