Hertfordshire bans Sadiq Khan’s Ulez signs and cameras on its boundary amid row over scheme expansion
26 July 2023, 06:54
Hertfordshire County Council has banned London from installing cameras and signs in the county for Mayor Sadiq Khan's planned ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) expansion.
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Tory Council leader Richard Roberts said Hertfordshire will not allow Ulez signs or cameras on its border, arguing the expansion unfairly burdens lower-income drivers.
The Ulez requires drivers of older, more polluting vehicles to pay a daily charge. It currently covers inner London but will expand to outer boroughs in August.
Hertfordshire borders the new zone, but Roberts wrote Khan saying enforcement infrastructure won't be allowed there.
Roberts said many Hertfordshire residents are facing financial hardship and can't afford to upgrade non-compliant vehicles. He added that TfL plans to convert outer London station car parks to Ulez charging hubs will further penalize drivers. Roberts called it a "tax grab" on motorists.
The council also requested Khan extend the Ulez scrappage scheme to surrounding counties. Hertfordshire said it may pursue legal action depending on the outcome of an ongoing judicial review brought by several other councils.
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In his letter, Roberts wrote: “In Hertfordshire, many residents, families and businesses are telling us that they are dealing with the tightest squeeze on their finances in over a generation. The simple fact of the matter is that at this time many people with non-compliant vehicles, often the lowest paid in society, cannot afford to upgrade their cars, are not eligible for the scrappage scheme and have no viable public transport alternatives.”
He added that Transport for London (TfL) plans to develop existing car parks at outer stations, such as Cockfosters and Enfield, meant that those wishing to drive to reach public transport links would also be hit with the charge. “Such actions create an appearance of a policy implemented in a disjointed way which in turn leads to the suspicion that this is simply another tax grab on the motorist,” he said.
The council says that its position is to “not permit any Ulez signage or enforcement cameras to be located within the boundary of the county”. It also requested that Khan extend the scrappage scheme for non-compliant cars to include counties surrounding Greater London.
Khan defended the expansion as a difficult but necessary step to reduce air pollution and its health impacts. Most cars already comply and financial assistance is available, he said. But the policy proved unpopular in a recent by-election.
Last week’s by-election in Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge & South Ruislip turned into an effective referendum on the Labour mayor’s plans to expand the zone. Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, and his shadow cabinet have blamed the Ulez for their failure to win the seat.
The judicial review contends Khan exceeded his authority. A ruling is expected soon. A coalition of Conservative-led councils argued in the High Court that the mayor lacks the legal authority to expand the zone beyond its current inner London area.
