1 in 3 London Businesses Say ULEZ Expansion Will Negatively Affect Employees

London Mayor Sadiq Khan, speaks during an inerview with AFP at the Francis Crick Institute in London, on June 11, 2018. Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP/Getty Images

Over a third of London businesses are worried about Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) having a negative impact on their employees, according to a study by London Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).

A poll commissioned by LCCI, the capital’s largest business chamber founded in 1881, says that a major chunk of businesses are concerned about being hit by ULEZ, Mr. Khan’s flagship air pollution-cutting scheme that charges motorists by the day to drive.

In response to the research, a mayor of London spokesman told The Epoch Times that the decision to roll out ULEZ “was a difficult one, but necessary to protect the health of Londoners.”

He also said there were new short grace periods.

The poll, carried out by Savanta, a member of the British Polling Council, included micro companies, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large businesses across both inner and outer London.

A sign at the expanded boundary of London’s ULEZ pollution charge zone for older vehicles on Oct. 25, 2021. Yui Mok/PA

Thirty-three percent said they were worried about the negative consequences of the expansion, which is set to take effect in August and covers most of Greater London.

The data showed that there was also a divergence in views based on business location. Thirty-nine percent of outer London companies are worried that the ULEZ expansion will negatively affect their employees as compared to 29 percent of businesses based in inner London.

Fifteen percent of all businesses thought it would have a positive impact on their employees.

LCCI added that London is facing a global chip shortage, which means that the vehicles may not necessarily be delivered in time before the ULEZ expansion to outer London.

The study echoes similar concerns from builders, plumbers, roofers, electricians and more. In July, research was conducted by Fix Radio, a national radio station dedicated to tradespeople, found that nearly a quarter of London tradesmen said that they are being hit, especially as they have to fork out thousands for ULEZ-compliant vehicles as the market has “skyrocketed.”

ULEZ

ULEZ is an area in which vehicles that do not meet certain emissions standards must pay a daily charge of £12.50 to drive or face fines. It currently covers 4 million people, or around 44 percent of London’s population.

Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced the world’s first ULEZ in 2015 when he was London mayor.

Mr. Khan claims that 4,000 Londoners “die prematurely each year because of long-term exposure to air pollution, with the greatest number of deaths in outer London boroughs.”

Some have previously questioned why the scheme is being pushed even though a planned ban on new petrol and diesel cars is coming in by 2030 and that by 2027 there will be no revenue for ULEZ.

‘Litany of Failure’

Tory councillor Simon Fawthrop told The Epoch Times that the results point out “the litany of failure of ULEZ ... the fact that it was ill-thought-out, is incomprehensible and actually punishes people for going about their daily business.”

In a statement accompanying the poll, Richard Burge, CEO at LCCI said that his members have “expressed concerns that their employees might be unfairly penalised if they bought a ULEZ compliant vehicle which was not delivered in time for the ULEZ extension to outer London.”

“At a time when businesses are doing their best to provide hybrid working options and are making progress in getting staff back into the office, we don’t want the ULEZ expansion to hinder their crucial efforts” he added.

James Watkins, head of policy and public impact at LCCI said that “good air quality is integral to all of us—businesses as well as employees.”

“However, we believe that during this cost of living crisis, this health measure should not be viewed as another tax but, instead, as a vital step to improve air quality,” he said.

“Our members in logistics and travel hubs have advised that workers travelling to work places should not be penalised if they have bought a ULEZ-compliant vehicle but with the risk remaining that the vehicles may not be delivered in time for August,” added Mr. Watkins.

London's Ultra low emission zone. PA Graphics

‘Majority Want the Zone to Be Expanded London-Wide’

A spokesman for the mayor of London told The Epoch Times by email that “the mayor has been clear that the decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide was a difficult one, but necessary to protect the health of Londoners.”

“We know the ULEZ works as it’s already allowed more than 4 million people to breathe cleaner air in inner London and harmful NO2 concentrations cut by nearly half in central London,” he added.

The spokesman said that representative YouGov polling of more than 1,200 Londoners “showed the majority want the zone to be expanded London-wide, with nearly twice as many Londoners supporting the expansion than opposing it.”

“The ULEZ is a very targeted scheme—nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London are already ULEZ compliant and will not have to pay the charge,” he said.

The £110 million scrappage scheme, he said, has been extended this month to include those receiving child benefits and all the capital’s small businesses and charities.

He added that sole traders, microbusinesses, small businesses, and charities that have ordered brand new compliant vehicles but have been informed that delivery will be delayed past Aug. 29 owing to issues such as supply chain delays will have a maximum six months grace period.