ULEZ expansion ‘is crucifying workers in city’
ICE CREAM MAN SAYS HE FACES A £4K ANNUAL FEE JUST TO WORK
AN ice cream man who has plied his trade in London for 33 years claims “TfL is crucifying hard-working people” with the expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone, as he faces a £4,000 fee a year to work in the capital.
Marcello Bonito, 53, has worked as an ice cream vendor since he got his driving licence aged 17, and worked for his uncles since he was eight. His dad started selling ice cream in Ravenscourt Park, Hammersmith, in 1972.
He said he has only just realised he is liable to pay the ULEZ charge due to the blanket ban on Euro 5 vehicles – which his ice cream van is – in the zone.
This is despite the fact that Marcello claims his Euro 5 diesel van is less polluting than the Euro 6 vehicles which are automatically exempted from the ULEZ charge.
He said his latest emissions test registered a 0.5 CO reading, below the 0.74 benchmark for exempted Euro 6 vehicles.
Marcello says these are “unfair rules” and believes he should “pay by the reading and not the year”.
City Hall says the charge is essential to reduce air pollution in the capital.
Marcello said: “Why should I pay the ULEZ every day when my vehicle is cleaner than some of these Euro 6s? I have it in black and white the emissions are lower on my van and still I have to pay the £12.50.
“I’m not just saying it for myself – a lot of vehicles out there are in the same situation.
“My mechanic said there are a lot of people who come here with the same problem. I will be working a week to give Mr Khan nearly £90 out of my pocket.
“It has just dawned on me how unfair it is – I’m getting stung £12.50 for a polluting vehicle which is not polluting.”
The ULEZ rules means Marcello will be paying up to £4,000 a year.
He said: “Ice cream season is from February to November, but if the weather is a bit naff in February I don’t bother.
“From March onwards I’m out every day of the week. It’s not right what they’re doing. They’re crucifying people. They’re getting robbed to use their vehicle. People have changed their vehicles for no reason.
“The thing is it’s £12.50 now, but what will it be in a year’s time? Where does it stop?”
This comes two years after councils across London froze out ice cream traders with a crackdown on roaming and idling vendors, with vans already banned from idling for more than 15 minutes under the London Local Authorities Act.
Current ULEZ exemptions and discounts are in place for blue badge holders, taxis and minibuses used for community transport – however, TfL currently has no plans to exempt ice cream vans.
TfL director of transport strategy and policy Christina Calderato said: “London’s toxic air contributes to thousands of deaths each year and is linked to heart disease, dementia and the stunted development of children’s lungs.
“While the carbon dioxide emissions for this vehicle are low, ultimately it’s the levels of two other pollutants – NOx and PM – that determine whether the vehicle meets ULEZ standards.
“Around 3.8 million Londoners living in the larger area are now benefiting from cleaner air. The vast majority of people travelling in the expanded zone already meet the standards, with 92% now complying.
“It is expected that following the expansion of ULEZ, alongside implementing a tougher Low Emission Zone for heavy vehicles, nitrogen dioxide will fall by 30% across the capital.
“To help Londoners meet the standards, the Mayor ran a series of scrappage schemes from February 2019, allocating a total of £61 million.
“They have been hugely successful in helping small businesses, charities, those on low incomes and disabled Londoners take in excess of 14,500 older, more polluting vehicles off London’s roads.”