Motorists now face paying per MILE to drive through London as Sadiq Khan targets cars yet again
SADIQ Kahn has been accused of targeting motorists in the capital again after plotting to charge them by the mile.
The Mayor of London wants to force drivers who use petrol and diesel cars to switch to greener methods “where necessary”.
He has said he is “not willing to put off action” to hit climate targets, and believes that his plans for road pricing will do this.
Researched commissioned by Khan found that London requires a 27 per cent reduction in traffic by 2030 to meet net-zero ambitions.
A City Hall report also found that road user charging would be “simple and fair” and could replace the existing Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone.
But the move has been slammed by driving groups who believe policies should focus on helping motorists get electric vehicles, rather than punishing those who cannot afford them.
AA president Edmund King said: “We need to encourage the uptake of cleaner, greener vehicles.”
The RAC’s Nicholas Lyes added: “These proposals would create massive financial challenges for individuals, families and businesses who run a car in London.
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“Proposals to charge vehicles to enter London are likely to impact hardest on workers such as carers, tradespeople and night-time staff for whom there is no alternative to using a vehicle.”
However the document stated that the technology to charge drivers per mile is still “years away” from being ready.
This is what has sparked Khan to consider other policies which could be drawn up and implemented in the next “few years”.
One approach is for the Ultra Low Emission Zone, which costs £12.50 per day to enter, to cover all of London.
Khan is also considering charging drivers who do not live in London for entering the city, and will conduct a public consultation on the proposals with TfL.
He said that he is “not willing to stand by and wait when there’s more we can do in London that could make a big difference”.
‘CLIMATE EMERGENCY’
Khan added: “We have too often seen measures to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency delayed around the world because it’s viewed as being too hard or politically inconvenient, but I’m not willing to put off action we have the ability to implement here in London.”
Consultancy Element Energy was commissioned by the mayor to set out scenarios for cutting London’s carbon emissions to net zero.
In the most ambitious scenario, Mr Khan’s preferred option, could require £75 billion investment between now and 2030 in infrastructure, and more beyond, from public and private sources, according to the mayor.
Hitting the target will require 2.2 million heat pumps in operation by the end of the decade, more solar panels on roofs, and bringing in heat networks for heating homes.
Khan has warned he does not have the funding or powers to deliver everything required, and wants the Government to provide greater support.
TfL and the mayor said there would be a public consultation on the proposals, with the chosen measure potentially implemented by May 2024.