Khan and Labour deny planning pay-per-mile scheme for drivers after ULEZ
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Labour have dismissed claims they’re secretly planning a pay-per-mile scheme for drivers within the capital – and that they need a car-less society – as “complete nonsense” and “completely untrue”.
However, Transport Secretary Mark Harper is alleged to have warned Sir Keir Starmer that the Government will legislate to dam Labour from bringing in street charging. And a nationwide newspaper claims it has seen plans to cost drivers by the mile – and that London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone ULEZ is simply the beginning of Labour’s “vision” for a car-less society.
It quotes a “Government source” that claims Labour intends to “drive cars off the road” – and one other that claims plans to cost drivers primarily based on the size of the journey taken are “an open secret in City Hall”.
City Hall, nonetheless, insists there is no such thing as a prospect of pay-per-mile fees “in the foreseeable future”. The denial got here after Richard Holden, the roads minister, claimed he had been informed by Khan’s deputy that Transport for London (TfL) chiefs had been requested “to investigate the technicalities of introducing road charging across London in the future.”
The newest report comes simply days earlier than ULEZ is expanded to cowl even the entire of London. Khan claims the August 29 enlargement will deliver “cleaner, healthier air to 5 million more Londoners”.
However, Khan’s office reportedly tried to “silence” scientists who found that his ULEZ policy had little impact on pollution. The examine by Imperial College’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering discovered that ULEZ had solely lower nitrogen dioxide by lower than three per cent and had insignificant results on ozone and particulate matter.
And now each Khan and Labour have been pressured to disclaim that ULEZ cameras shall be used to facilitate a pay-per-mile street tax, which it’s claimed would be the subsequent stage of a imaginative and prescient for a car-less society.
The Mail on Sunday reports that the Mayor of London’s workplace and TfL produced papers that said: “New technology could be used to integrate existing schemes such as the Congestion Charge, Lez and Ulez into a smarter, simpler and fair scheme that would charge motorists on a per-mile basis.
“Different charging charges would apply relying on variables similar to how polluting a car is, the extent of congestion within the space and entry to public transport.”
The newspaper said the document, which was part of a consultation on ULEZ, said: “We are actually beginning to discover the potential for future street consumer charging.”
Transport Secretary Mark Harper said it “has been advised” that “Labour plan to make use of air air pollution to aim to justify bringing in pay-per-mile charging for each automotive in London”. The Forest of Dean MP said the Government will back amendments to the upcoming Levelling Up Bill to ensure such changes require local council consent.
The Mail reports a “Government supply” who claimed: “Ulez is simply the beginning for them [Labour]. The subsequent stage is driving automobiles off the street. Labour’s imaginative and prescient is principally a carless society – definitely within the cities. They have been trying how you can technically do that for each street.”
However, Labour said this claim is “utterly unfaithful”. And a spokesman for Khan told the Mail the allegations are “full nonsense”.
“Sadiq is crystal clear – a pay-per-mile scheme shouldn’t be on the desk and never on his agenda,” added the spokesperson.
However, earlier this month, Khan stated that it may assist enhance air high quality “if you charge people on how many miles they drive, how polluting their vehicle is, what time of day they’re driving”. He described “road-user charging” as “quite exciting”, reported The Telegraph.