Nigel Farage has hit out at London Mayor Sadiq Khan after new figures detailed the early impact of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez) expansion.
The GB News presenter accused Khan of “trapping the elderly and poor” with the scheme that hinders non-compliant car owners.
Those that fall into this category are subject to a £12.50 daily fee when they use their vehicles on London roads.
A new Transport for London (TfL) report outlined 60,000 vehicle owners a day are paying the daily charge.
Nigel Farage has hit out at Sadiq Khan
GB NEWS / PA
The “key number”, according to Farage, is that approximately 50,000 fewer cars are operating each day on the outskirts of London.
“What it means, Sadiq Khan, is you have trapped the poor, You have trapped the elderly in their houses for fear of paying £12.50”, he said.
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“Whatever your views on net Zero or climate change, this was never the right way to do it.”
The drop in vehicles represents a two per cent reduction from between August 29 and September 30 compared with June.
The report also suggests TfL receives approximately £730,000 a day in Ulez fees.
Khan has defended the expansion, saying the increase in the proportion of vehicles in the expanded area that comply with the emissions standards from. 85 per cent in May 2022 to 95 per cent in September will “make a huge difference”.
The decision comes amid criticism over Sadiq Khan's decision to increase the Ulez zone in Greater LondonPAHe extended the Ulez zone from everywhere within the North and South Circular roads to cover all London boroughs.
For petrol cars to meet the emissions standards, they must generally have been first registered after 2005.
Most diesel cars registered after September 2015 are also exempt from the charge.
Khan said: “I’ve always said that the decision to expand the Ulez was very difficult, but a month on from the expansion we can already see that it is working.
“London is now home to the world’s largest clean air zone and this new data shows 95% of vehicles seen driving in London on an average day now comply with our air quality standards – a 10 percentage point increase since I began to consult on the Ulez expansion in May 2022.
“This will make a huge difference to the lives and health of Londoners.”
The scheme was expanded to much backlash, with an anti-Ulez Facebook group calling on its 40,000 members to refuse paying fines while also celebrating the vandalism of enforcement cameras.
TfL said it is “too early to draw firm conclusions” about its figures showing a reduction in vehicle usage.
A scheme providing up to £2,000 for Londoners to scrap a non-compliant vehicle remains open.