The entire concept of ULEZ was introduced and launched all the way back in July 2014 by Boris Johnson, the system didn’t come into full effect until about March 2015 with the fixation on the usual culprit and excuse of Global Warming and Climate Change. This then witnessed an expansion into the London Ring Road including the A406 in October 2021 just after we had to deal with the burden of Covid prior. The Government decided to squeeze more funding out of the struggling population by expanding the ULEZ zones, where Sadiq Khan jumped on the bandwagon and developed yet another typical fixation on the environment by stating the final expansion of ULEZ for the entire region of London.
However, the evidence proves contrary about its effective use. Let’s start from the obvious anyone can enter ULEZ if they pay the £12.50 charge, so from the get-go, it is just another money-grabbing scheme compiled by the ethically and morally challenged politicians. Secondly, research compiled by The London School of Economics and Political Science has conducted an independent study on ULEZ that didn’t foresee government funding to promote their indoctrinated beliefs. Has been found that the implementation of the ULEZ scheme has shown minimal change and difference in air quality, and nitrogen dioxide levels, whereas another research has found evidence that ULEZ has in fact increased air pollution.
Fundamentally speaking there are always two sides to every coin, so there will be mixed evidence no doubt, the sources of information conducted by the LSE have been provided at the bottom of the article. However, this fixation on the environment and demand that its population opt for buying newer cars, in particular, electric cars (which in fact do more long-term environmental harm and damage) cannot go unnoticed. During COVID-19 the UK government lost billions in selling faulty, broken, and unusable covid equipment, vaccination tracking software etc. Which were all sold off and shared amongst the questionable alliances between politicians and their allies. It’s been estimated that some £261 billion was spent, lost, and used ineffectively during the covid pandemic. As a result, the government would surely need to “punish” the public and get that money back, therefore, expanding ULEZ would see some of those losses being regained. As research has found that ULEZ expansion would generate somewhere in the region of £174 million in its population and users.
The question arises what can we do? Not much unfortunately other than either fork out a new car and get rid of your current one under the government scrappage scheme, which is a complete joke and sham. However, some people have sewed and taken ULEZ to court and won under the verdict that the LEZ and ULEZ signs are illegal. In the highway code, these signs are not present, there is no indication that you enter this zone and must pay, unlike the Dartford charge or congestion charge, therefore, in hindsight the ULEZ signs have been put up illegally and are not part of the highway code.
It is hard to say what will happen next with ULEZ, where it will go and where it will expand further. However, it is our responsibility to unite and work together as motorists to fight for what’s right, we have seen car insurance increase to enormous rates squeezing more out of us to drive our beloved cars. Therefore, it is important to ensure our voices are heard, to petition, and to gather evidence to support our viewpoints.
What are your thoughts?
Sources:
https://www.lse.ac.uk/granthaminstitute/news/the-truth-about-londons-ultra-low-emission-zone/
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12474777/Drivers-fines-ULEZ-standards-illegal-signs.html
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