Khan Urges 3 Neighbouring Counties to Allow ULEZ Warning Signs

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged three county councils to at least let him put up warning signs for the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

It comes less than two weeks ahead of the zone’s controversial expansion to cover Greater London.

ULEZ is a zone which drivers have to pay £12.50 a day to enter if their vehicles don’t meet certain emissions standards.

Mr. Khan is set to press ahead with the zone’s expansion on Aug. 29 after suburban London councils lost their legal battle to halt it, but the unpopular move is continuing to face resistance from drivers and surrounding councils.

All but one of the capital’s neighbouring counties have refused to sign a section 8 agreement, effectively banning Transport for London (TfL) from installing ULEZ cameras and signs that warn drivers they are about to enter the zone.

Self-styled ULEZ “blade runners” have also been breaking cameras that have already been installed.

The policy has also been blamed for Labour’s defeat in a recent by-election.

Mr. Khan is now left pleading with councils in Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire to at least allow warning signs.

TfL said advance warning signage has been installed on roads managed by Highways England to warn drivers they are about to enter ULEZ, but it has found three spots in the three counties where it believes the lack of advance warning signs could increase “the risk of unsafe manoeuvres” and collisions.

These locations are on the Stanwell Moor Road approach to the roundabout with the Southern Perimeter Road of Heathrow Airport in Surrey; Hewitts roundabout in Kent; and the A411 approach to Stirling Corner roundabout in Hertfordshire, according to the mayor’s office.

TfL also said it has offered to pay for the installation and maintenance of the signs, but the offers were not accepted.

A spokesperson for Mr. Khan said the lack of signs would mean drivers can enter ULEZ “inadvertently.”

They insisted ULEZ will “save lives” by improving air quality, and said the mayor is “urging these three county councils to put their politics aside and do what’s best for their residents and drivers.”

Councils: Halt ULEZ Expansion or Offer Support

Hertfordshire County Council said Mr. Khan should pause the ULEZ expansion instead.

“The expansion of the ULEZ zone by the mayor of London to Hertfordshire’s borders will price some of the lowest paid in our county off the roads,” a spokesperson said in a statement emailed to The Epoch Times.

“No amount of signage will change the fact that our residents and businesses face a £12.50 penalty for travelling into the capital.

“It’s time for the mayor to do the right thing and pause the expansion before redrawing the boundary to start at public transport hubs in outer London.”

Surrey and Kent county councils said they won’t enter a section 8 agreement with TfL unless there’s mitigation in place to minimise the impact of the expansion on Surrey residents.

In a bid to calm revolt against the ULEZ expansion, Mr. Khan has been forced to agree to dishing out up to £2,000 to all Londoners who need to replace their non-ULEZ-compliant cars.

The scrappage scheme was initially designed to help people on benefits and small businesses upgrade their vehicles. It’s now open to all Londoners and the amount for some categories has increased.

In an email to The Epoch Times, Matt Furniss, Surrey Council’s cabinet member for transport, infrastructure, and growth, said while the expansion of the scrappage scheme “looks to be a step in the right direction,” it doesn’t help people outside of London who need to enter the capital.

“This means that people living in Surrey will not only have to pay the ULEZ charge, but also pay all costs to scrap their own car as the scrappage scheme only applies to people living inside London,” he said.

“Combined with the recent decision to withdraw the day travel card, it is now increasingly difficult for those outside of London to travel in and out at a fair price.”

Mr. Furniss urged the London mayor and TfL to “extend the scrappage scheme outside of London for those that are impacted, provide exemption for key workers, and provide more and better bus routes between Surrey and London.”

A Kent County Council (KCC) spokesperson told The Epoch Times: “We fully understand and appreciate our obligations as a highways authority, and the safety of road users is always our priority.

“We stand by our decision not to adopt ULEZ signage for as long as there is no mitigation to minimise the impact of the expansion of the scheme on Kent residents.”

The spokesperson said KCC is “committed to the aim of improving air quality,” adding, “this must go hand-in-hand with appropriate mitigations, including better availability of public transport—something the mayor is looking to reduce for non-Londoners with the withdrawal of the day travel card.”

The spokesperson also hit out at Mr. Khan’s new plan to charge a toll for the use of Blackwall Tunnel, saying it’s “another indication that he has no consideration for the impact it could have on Kent residents and businesses to be further financially penalised.”