Khan to End ULEZ Scrappage Scheme

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

London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) scrappage scheme will be closed to new applicants on September 7, the mayor’s office has confirmed.

City Hall said on Friday that the scrappage scheme, which allowed Londoners to exchange their non-emissions compliant vehicles for cash, would be wound down because applications have “dropped sharply in recent weeks.”

Transport for London’s (TfL) director of strategy and planning, Christina Calderato, encouraged those still needing to access the scheme to make their applications before September 8, adding that any remaining funds left in the budget would be considered for use in the mayor’s other transport strategies.

The scheme has a budget of £210 million and was introduced when Mayor Sadiq Khan extended the ULEZ zone in August 2023 to all of London’s boroughs.

Generally petrol cars first registered after 2005 and most diesel vehicles registered after September 2015 meet the ULEZ emissions requirements.

Drivers of vehicles that do not meet TfL emissions standards and which are not exempt must pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive within the zone.

Those with non-compliant vehicles who do not pay the daily charge can be fined £180, or £90 if paid within 14 days.

£186 Million Committed

The scrappage scheme was opened in January of last year and allows London’s sole traders, businesses, and residents to trade their vehicles for cash, cash and a public transport pass, and in some cases allows for vans and minibuses to be retrofitted with emissions abatement equipment.

Grants are worth from £1,000 for motorcycles and £2,000 for cars to £7,000 for vans and £9,000 for minibuses.

So far, more than £186 million has been committed to nearly 54,000 applicants.

Khan said that he was proud of the scrappage scheme, which “has supported so many Londoners to switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.”

The mayor said that 96 percent of vehicles in London are now ULEZ compliant, adding, “I remain committed to taking world-leading action to improve London’s air quality and encourage sustainable transport.”

Blade Runners

Khan’s decision to extend ULEZ, which was rolled out in 2019 and initially only covered Central London, was controversial, with critics including former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak labelling it a war on drivers.

Anti-ULEZ protesters have gathered on several occasions in the capital to voice their objection and have taken action to block cameras.

Saboteurs have also damaged ULEZ cameras and signage. Last year, a group of activists, the so-called Blade Runners, had taken down and damaged hundreds of cameras used for checking licence plates to monitor for compliance.

City Hall data from January revealed that TfL earned over £8.8 million in fines in just six weeks through the enforcement of ULEZ across all London boroughs, with a total of 97,786 fined being issued.

PA Media contributed to this report.