Holidays grounded? 1 in 3 Heathrow staff to be hit by Ulez tax
NEARLY a third of staff who drive to work at Heathrow airport will be hit by the expansion of Sadiq Khan’s clean air zone – raising fears that worker shortages could affect holidaymakers.
Some 9,911 of the airport’s 31,190 employees will be forced to pay to get to work under the London mayor’s plans, a staff survey reveals.
Heathrow – Britain’s largest single-site employer – is drawing up emergency plans to help workers avoid the Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) charge, which could add £4,500 to commuting costs every year. But there are fears it could prompt some staff to look for work elsewhere, with any shortages potentially hitting holidaymakers.
The disclosure last night sparked fresh calls from MPs for Mr Khan to drop the ‘reckless tax grab’.
More than 1.2 million commuters will be punished by the Ulez expansion, research by the Conservatives suggests. Economic forecasters say it could also wipe £500m from the regional economy.
The Ulez expansion, which comes into effect on August 29, will see the zone cover all Greater London. Heathrow sits just inside the zone, hitting those who live nearby or drive in from the Home Counties.
Of the 9,911 workers who drive non-compliant vehicles – typically pre-2015 diesel and pre-2006 petrol models – half live in Greater London and the other half just outside, the survey reveals.
Mr Khan claims only a fraction of drivers will be affected as nine in ten cars driving in outer London are already Ulez-compliant.
Dr Ben Spencer, Tory MP for Runnymede and Weybridge, whose constituents will be affected, said: ‘Including Heathrow in the Ulez expansion will subject many employees to a £12.50 daily charge, harming recruitment and viability of businesses and services locally.
‘Worse still, the decision from [Mr Khan] to expand Ulez to fix his failed London budget risks much greater economic fallout. He should put the needs of residents, businesses and the country before his reckless London tax grab.’
However, Christina Calderato, Transport for London’s director of strategy, said: ‘The London-wide Ulez is vital in tackling the triple challenges of air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion.’