Several outer London boroughs say they will try to frustrate the extension of the ULEZ scheme by refusing TfL permission to put up cameras or signs. The response of the Mayor, who seems to think that he holds a “Divine Right of Mayors” to do whatever he wants, is that they can enforce it by just putting up cameras on traffic lights which they do control.

But this is not as simple as they make out. For example as a resident of Chislehurst in the London Borough of Bromley I can escape from the ghetto to reach the M20 and M25 without going through any traffic lights. I can also get into central Bromley by using alternative minor roads. In addition if TfL cannot put up warning signs it will make ULEZ penalties unenforceable.

Sadiq Khan surely needs to reconsider his plans which he is now promoting by repeatedly lying about the impact of air pollution in London on deaths. There are no deaths directly attributable to air pollution and only one where it was considered a contributory factor when the person concerned suffered from other serious medical problems.

The motivation for extending the ULEZ is clearly financial as it will have negligible impact on air pollution and all the extra cameras installed as a result will enable a road charging scheme for ALL vehicles to be introduced!

One justification given by the Mayor for the ULEZ is to reduce the increase in traffic and tackle congestion. But private car use has been falling for some years. See the chart above which gives the trends in travel modes over the last 20 years in London.

Increases in traffic congestion have been caused by reductions in road space and mismanagement of the road network by TfL.

Roger Lawson

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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