London’s Mayor Offers Incentives To Scrap Old Petrol Vehicles

London’s Mayor will offer incentives to all drivers to scrap old petrol or diesel vehicles in a bid to calm an outcry over a clean air scheme which has put pressure on the opposition Labour Party before national elections expected next year.

Ahead of a planned expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone, Sadiq Khan said financial support for vehicle scrappage would now be offered across the board, and no longer only targeted at people on low incomes or with disabilities or small businesses.

“I’ve continued to listen to Londoners’ concerns in recent months.

Every single Londoner with a non-ULEZ compliant vehicle will now be eligible for financial support,” Khan said in a statement.

A 2,000-pound grant would now be offered to everyone and the existing scrappage payments offered to charities, businesses and others would also be increased.

Khan plans to extend ULEZ to cover almost all of Greater London, covering an extra five million people in outer boroughs, from August 29.

City Hall estimates 90% of cars in outer London are already ULEZ-compliant. Opponents challenge that figure

Following the election result in July, Labour leader Keir Starmer publicly asked Khan to reflect on why the party had not won the parliamentary seat.

Labour has a lead of about 20 percentage points over Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives. Sunak is expected to call a national election before the end of 2024.

REUTERS/ AISHA