Deputy mayor: Ulez scrappage scheme is big enough to help all in need

The deputy mayor of London has stated that the scrappage scheme for the Ultra low emission zone (Ulez) needs to be sufficient in size to assist all London residents who require it before the upcoming expansion.

Seb Dance, the vice mayor in charge of transportation, expressed his "assurance" that the £160 million fund is currently large enough to offer a grant to each owner of a vehicle that does not meet the standards and applies for aid through the program.

The program offers financial aid of £2,000 for cars that do not meet the requirements, and £1,000 for motorcycles, although higher sums can be obtained for vans and minibuses.

Originally launched in January of this current year, the initiative initially consisted of a sum of £110m and exclusively catered to residents of London who were recipients of specific financial aid, alongside non-profit organizations and small enterprises.

However, on Monday morning, the scheme's qualifications expanded to include all residents of London who own a vehicle that does not meet the requirements. Moreover, an extra £50 million has been allocated to the overall funding amount.

"We are extremely thrilled to announce that today we have the opportunity to extend the scrappage initiative, previously accessible only to the most disadvantaged residents of London, to all individuals residing in the city," expressed Mr. Dance enthusiastically.

"We are certain that by injecting extra funds into the program... we now have enough financial resources. Therefore, we encourage all residents of London who own a vehicle that does not meet the Ulez criteria to submit their applications."

The vice mayor affirmed that when he said "sufficient," he intended to convey that there is probably an ample amount of funds available for all individuals who submit their applications.

"That's what we anticipate," he stated.

“Clearly, when the program started, it was essential for us to guarantee that we had enough financial resources to support those who are most at risk. At present, we are confident that we can expand the program..."

That is precisely why we encourage everyone to submit their applications promptly, visit the Transport for London (TfL) vehicle checker at tfl.gov.uk, and verify if their vehicle meets the required standards... A remarkable proportion of cars, approximately ninety percent, observed on the streets during an average day have already met the compliance criteria.

Over £52 million out of the total fund of £160 million has been assigned up until now, to nearly 13,000 applicants who were granted the funds. This means that there is still approximately £108 million available for individuals to claim.

According to Mr Dance, there has already been a significant influx of people submitting their applications as soon as the scheme broadened on Monday morning.

Preparations have been completed to accommodate the surge, as the quantity of individuals dealing with scrappage inquiries in TfL's call center has been increased twofold.

Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor of London in charge of transportation

"TfL is swiftly addressing this issue, so there truly is no excuse to not submit your application," expressed the deputy mayor.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) mandates that individuals who possess vehicles that do not meet the required standards must pay a fee of £12.50 per day if they choose to enter the designated area.

At present, its limits stretch to the roads known as the North and South Circular, however mayor Sadiq Khan intends to broaden its scope to encompass the entirety of Greater London on Tuesday of the following week (August 29).

Transport for London (TfL) predicts that approximately 200,000 motorists using vehicles that do not meet the required standards are expected to face repercussions due to the expansion. Taking these statistics into account, TfL anticipates that the expansion of the London-wide Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) will reduce the daily presence of non-compliant cars in outer London from 160,000 to 46,000, and non-compliant vans from 42,000 to 26,000 before the conclusion of 2023.

Nevertheless, the data collected by the RAC reveals that over 690,000 automobiles, which are registered throughout the entirety of London, encompassing the already covered zone, probably do not meet the required standards. If we also consider other types of vehicles, like vans and lorries, the RAC's estimate rises to 851,065.

City Hall has previously contended that the data from the RAC is not as valuable as TfL's estimate in comprehending the zone's effects, as it could encompass vehicles that are scarcely or never utilized.

Inquired just a few weeks ago about the potential for the more extensive program that promotes getting rid of old vehicles to assist all individuals in London who own cars that do not meet the required standards, Mr. Khan replied: "From what I know, certain individuals might opt against exchanging their vehicles due to the fact that they don't drive them often. It's up to them to make that choice."

"What I'm eager to accomplish, however, is to provide assistance wherever we have the capacity to do so."