Over 12,000 Londoners seeking financial assistance for car upgrades to comply with Sadiq Khan’s expanded ULEZ restrictions are facing repeated denials of grant funding, according to new data from Transport for London (TfL).
The figures reveal that 12,493 individuals submitted applications multiple times, only to be rejected on each occasion. In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request released last Thursday, TfL stated: “The table shows that 12,493 people have had their scrappage applications rejected more than once. We aim to accept or decline scrappage applications within ten working days and have a robust process in place to verify the documents we receive as part of our measures to guard against fraud.
“The application process can take longer if we need to undertake additional verification procedures, such as to further check required documents or to request additional documentation.”
Back in August, when the scrappage scheme was launched, Mr. Khan stated that every Londoner with a “polluting car,” facing charges under ULEZ, would be able to receive a grant of up to £2,000 to support an upgrade.
In the FOI, TfL disclosed that scrappage applications may face rejection due to reasons such as invalid proof of sole trader status, outdated insurance certificates, or incomplete vehicle log books (V5C).
Scrappage Scheme ‘Underfunded’
Reform UK London mayoral candidate Howard Cox criticised the scrappage scheme’s underfunding, attributing organisational inadequacies to a lack of forethought in the London Mayor’s ULEZ “fantasy-based” project.
“The London Mayor’s fantasy-based policies were never thought through as to the financial consequences of the pointless ULEZ project. An underfunded scrappage scheme is now bearing its organisation inadequacies for all to see,” said Mr. Cox.
Speaking to The Epoch Times by text, Mr. Cox, who also founded the motor-owners’ pressure group FairFuel UK, expressed concern for ordinary citizens impacted by the scheme’s shortcomings, blaming what he termed Mr. Khan’s “scaremongering rhetoric” and calling for the removal of the mayor from office.
The news comes after a local business raised the alarm on the impact the expansion of the ULEZ may be having on hotels and similar establishments now falling within the zone.
Hotel Workers Impacted By ‘Grossly Unfair’ Charge
Talking to GB News on Monday, Mr. Beale, the proprietor of the family-operated hotel said, “We have 105 staff here on site and 20 of them had non-ULEZ cars and they are hugely impacted by that. It is grossly unfair because typically, they are at the lower end of the socioeconomic scale and they are the most affected.“And they’re being charged up to £3,000 a year, I think now. It is £3,000, which is £12.50 times five days a week, times 48 weeks of the year, working. It’s so unfair.”
Mr. Beale appeared on GB News alongside Conservative London Mayoral candidate Susan Hall and chair of the Tory party, Richard Holden. He told them that many customers are simply “not going to be coming.”
Mr. Beale pointed out that his customers, a significant number of whom travel from locations beyond the city, possess a higher proportion of cars that do not meet the ULEZ standards. He pointed out, “They'll be paying £12.50 when they arrive, £12.50 when they leave the next morning. That’s £25 extra on their bill.”
The Conservative Party candidate for the London mayoral race, Ms. Hall, stated last week that, “It has been a difficult year for small businesses in London. Why? Because of one of the hidden costs of Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ expansion.”
New Electric Charging Hubs
Yesterday, Mr. Khan also announced a new partnership with TfL, claiming that it was now “even easier for Londoners and local businesses to switch to electric vehicles.”Speaking via X, Mr. Khan said the partnership would “help to deliver five new electric ultra-fast charging hubs … where cars can be charged in as little as ten—30 minutes.”
