Felicity, Emilia and 300k motorists hit by huge emissions zone
EMILIA Fox and Felicity Kendal were spotted driving out to enjoy the mild weather this weekend – but there are storm clouds ahead for their diesel cars.
The actresses are among 300,000 drivers whose homes fall within London’s expanded low emissions zone today – meaning they must pay £12.50 daily to use their environmentally unfriendly cars.
Commuters who drive can choose to pay £250 a month.
The capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) becomes 18 times bigger today, snaring many thousands more cars – including Miss Kendal’s Land Rover and Miss Fox’s Audi.
Tens of thousands more motorists who drive into the zone from the surrounding Home Counties will also be hit.
Operating 24 hours a day, it will be enforced by numberplate recognition cameras. Diesel cars made before 2015 and pre-2006 petrol cars are most likely to fall foul of the rules.
London mayor Sadiq Khan launched a scrappage scheme to help hard-pressed families and vulnerable car owners replace older polluting cars. Those on certain benefits or disability allowances can obtain a £2,000 grant to scrap non-compliant vehicles. But so far it has helped just 6,700 drivers, with only enough money left in the pot for 1,000 more. Only one in 43 motorists affected by the expansion have received help.
Last night, the AA urged Mr Khan to introduce a grace period for the most hard-up Londoners, such as the one introduced when Birmingham set up a Clean Air Zone in June.
AA president Edmund King said: ‘The mayor reckons 100,000 cars will fall foul of the ULEZ on Monday – the AA calculates that it will hit at least three times that number, most of them low-income families.
‘Birmingham gave residents a two-year exemption and workers a one-year exemption if they earn less than £30,000 and spend at least 18 hours a week at premises within the zone.
‘London needs to understand how critical a car can be for families and workers, many of them juggling multiple jobs to make ends meet.’
Howard Cox, founder of the campaign FairFuelUK, said: ‘The mayor’s selfishness, huge ego and amoeban mentality to road transport is not only trashing London, he is also ruining people’s lives and livelihoods.’
Until last night, the ULEZ covered only central London. But from today it expands to the inner boundaries of the North and South Circular roads.
Transport for London, which runs the scheme, says this will give 90 per cent of roads within it nitrogen dioxide levels below the official limit of 40 micrograms per metre cubed.
Paul Cowperthwaite, TfL’s road charges boss, said the scrappage scheme helped more than 80 per cent of vehicles in the zone become compliant.
He added: ‘People from lowincome households are more likely to live in areas of high pollution and will benefit from the expanded ULEZ. People’s health and lives are at stake... it must be implemented now.’
‘Ruining lives and livelihoods’