{"id":134579,"date":"2023-08-30T02:29:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-30T02:29:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/allmybiznews.com\/?p=134579"},"modified":"2023-08-30T02:29:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-30T02:29:00","slug":"ulez-fines-amnesty-demand-as-sadiq-khan-reportedly-shelves-zero-plan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/allmybiznews.com\/politics\/ulez-fines-amnesty-demand-as-sadiq-khan-reportedly-shelves-zero-plan\/","title":{"rendered":"ULEZ fines amnesty demand as Sadiq Khan reportedly shelves ‘zero’ plan"},"content":{"rendered":"
It comes as the Mayor of London reportedly shelved plans to charge all combustion-engined cars driving into central London, after he spent much of yesterday (Tuesday, August 29) defending the ULEZ expansion.\u00a0 There were multiple reports of ULEZ cameras being vandalised on the day the expansion went live.<\/p>\n
Now,\u00a0Transport Secretary Mark Harper has asked Khan\u00a0to give drivers a grace period before issuing fines. Harper said it was\u00a0said it was \u201cnot reasonable\u201d for the Mayor to allow people to be fined on Tuesday – because a website to check whether cars were compliant suffered technical problems that meant drivers checking their vehicles were forced to wait several minutes.<\/p>\n
Read more… <\/strong> ULEZ proves that Sadiq Khan is unfit to be Mayor of London<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Drivers travelling in the zone in a vehicle that does not meet minimum emissions standards are required to pay a \u00a312.50 daily fee or risk a \u00a3180 fine, which is reduced to \u00a390 if paid within 14 days.\u00a0 \u00a0A grace period would mean that motorists with non-compliant vehicles who drove into ULEZ areas\u00a0on Tuesday, and for a period after that would not be fined. This would allow people more time to adapt to the changes.<\/p>\n The calls for a grace period came as Khan reportedly shelved plans to potentially charge all combustion-engined cars driving into central London.\u00a0\u00a0Proposals outlined in the Mayor\u2019s 2018 transport strategy for a \u201czero emission zone\u201d in the heart of the capital have been dropped, the Financial Times reported.<\/p>\n A spokesperson for the Mayor\u2019s Office told the paper: \u201cTfL continues to support boroughs who wish to implement zero emission zones in their local areas.\u201d<\/p>\n Don’t miss… <\/strong> <\/p>\n We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info<\/p>\n The apparent U-turn came after multiple ULEZ cameras were vandalised.\u00a0 On just one road in the south-east London borough of Bromley, which is now part of the expanded zone, 14 cameras\u00a0were smashed, spray-painted red or had their wires cut.<\/p>\n Vigilantes have repeatedly targeted enforcement cameras in recent months and protesters have taken to the streets to voice their opposition to the ULEZ\u00a0zone.\u00a0The Metropolitan Police said it had recorded 288 crimes relating to the cameras as of August 1.<\/p>\n A woman who stumbled across a damaged ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) camera covered with an orange \u201cno\u00a0Ulez\u201d sign in Harefield in Greater London said the\u00a0Ulez\u00a0charge is \u201ctoo harsh\u201d.\u00a0 AJ Simpson, 36, from Wimbleton, told the PA news agency that she was returning from a day\u2019s work as a children\u2019s entertainer on Monday when she saw the downed\u00a0Ulez\u00a0camera.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ms Simpson said: \u201cI was just going down the road and I noticed it was on the floor, but there was a bit too much traffic on that particular road and so I just turned around and came back again and took a photo of it.\u201d<\/p>\n She said: \u201cIt sounds harsh, because I shouldn\u2019t be saying these people can go out and do what they want to do, but it\u2019s not actually hurting anybody.\u00a0 Yes, it\u2019s making the Government pay more money towards fixing them but they\u2019re making the general public pay money to go to work.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cMy father had to get rid of his van. He\u2019s a builder and he\u2019s been a builder in Wimbledon for 20 years.\u00a0 That\u2019s his livelihood, travelling around London, going through London, going to every job.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Speaking on GB News on Tuesday morning, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said he would stop the rollout if he had the power to do so and highlighted his reservations about the true motives behind the expansion.\u00a0 Regarding a potential fines amnesty,\u00a0 Harper\u00a0told The Telegraph: \u201cThe Labour Mayor of London is responsible for administrating the rollout of his new charge on the poorest motorists.<\/p>\n \u201cWith the Transport for London [TfL] website crashing and causing confusion on the ground, it\u2019s not reasonable for Sadiq Khan to punish people by fining them for being caught up in that confusion, and he at least should be considering grace periods.\u201d<\/p>\n However, a TfL spokesman said that \u201call the signs needed for the enforcement of the scheme are in place, and the boundaries clearly\u00a0signposted for drivers\u201d.<\/p>\n
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