The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has launched a scrappage scheme of £110 million. In a bid to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities, sole traders and business with 10 or fewer employees to replace or retrofit their old, polluting vehicles.
To accompany the scrappage scheme, the Mayor and TfL are also announcing a host of ULEZ support offers from businesses, including additional exclusive offers for successful applicants of the scrappage scheme. This will enable Londoners to benefit from discounts on subscriptions, rentals and purchases of bicycles, e-bikes, cargo bikes, cars and vans from companies including Brompton, Enterprise and Santander Cycles.
It follows the Mayor’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) London-wide in August this year, which will mean five million more Londoners will be able to breathe cleaner air. Already around 94 percent of vehicles seen driving in inner and central London, and 85 per cent of vehicles seen driving in outer London meet ULEZ standards, meaning the vast majority of drivers will not need to pay. The new scrappage scheme and grace periods will help drivers of the remaining non-compliant vehicles prepare.
Alex Williams, Chief Customer and Strategy Officer, Transport for London, said:
“Any premature death and disease linked to poor air quality is unacceptable. Pollution is a silent and indiscriminate killer that is disproportionately blighting the outer London boroughs, which is why we are expanding the ULEZ across the whole of the capital.”
Rachel Ledwith, Head of Community Engagement, Felix Project, said:
“We welcome the help the Mayor is providing to smaller charities with the scrappage scheme and hope it is taken up by as many charities as possible. Many of the organisations who rely on food donations from The Felix Project expressed concerns about the ULEZ extension as it meant higher transportation costs. These are very small organisations who survive on small budgets. I hope the scheme will benefit them and allow them to make positive steps to help London’s environment whilst reducing their transport costs.”
Cllr Darren Rodwell, Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, said: “The Mayor is taking bold action to cut the toxic fumes we breath every day – fumes that sit behind the premature death of thousands of residents in Barking and Dagenham and across London.”
Dr Kush Kanodia, Disability Rights Champion, said:
“We are delighted and welcome these changes from the Mayor of London and Transport for London. I started the campaign 2 years ago which called for further reasonable adjustments for disabled Londoners from ULEZ.”