In a significant show of opposition to London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion, approximately 400 protesters took to the streets in the London borough of Sutton on Sunday, successfully obstructing visibility to around 80 enforcement cameras.
The protest, organised by Action Against Unfair ULEZ, rendered the cameras inoperative, allowing vehicles non-compliant with ULEZ standards to drive across the borough without incurring the daily £12.50 charge.
Howard Cox, Reform UK’s candidate for the 2024 London Mayoral election, praised the peaceful nature of the demonstration, highlighting its success against what he termed the “cash grabbing” ULEZ.
“Great to see a successful peaceful protest against Sadiq Khan’s cash-grabbing ULEZ in Sutton. No arrests made, and no one hindered whatsoever. Decent honest people rightfully showing their disgust at the mendacious London Mayor’s attack on the poorest drivers and small businesses,” Mr. Cox told The Epoch Times via text.
The protest, which lasted three hours on Sunday afternoon, was meticulously planned to ensure no ULEZ enforcement camera within Sutton was left unobstructed. The demonstration was attended by Kingsley Hamilton, 45, a bus driver and member of the organising group.
Mr. Hamilton, who has a personal stake in the matter of transport costs, due to his young son’s health condition requiring frequent hospital visits, utilised his 1967 Routemaster bus as part of the protest. The activists’ efforts were met with audible support from passing drivers, indicating broader community backing for their cause.
ULEZ Expansion Opposed by Locals
The move comes in response to Mayor Khan’s decision to expand ULEZ coverage to encompass approximately 90 percent of Sutton, a change that was met with significant local opposition. A council-backed petition demanding a delay in the expansion until public transport options in Sutton were significantly improved garnered thousands of signatures.
While some activists have previously resorted to damaging enforcement cameras, a criminal offence carried out primarily by a group dubbed the “Blade-Runners,” Mr. Hamilton was keen to emphasise the peaceful and lawful nature of their protest.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed that they were “aware” of the protest, reporting that the event passed peacefully without any arrests.
Mr Hamilton told The Telegraph: “There are 107 cameras that we are aware of, but a lot of them have been deactivated.
“We got at least 80 covered today, so every single camera in the borough is either deactivated or is being covered with a placard today.
“We’ve put messages out on social media advertising the fact it is only for three hours, so drivers can do what they would normally do–like visit a relative in hospital, without being fined.”
“Even people who have compliant cars had to fork out and get unaffordable loans to buy these compliant cars, so it’s all very well saying that people have compliant cars now, but they’ve still got that loan to pay off, that loan that they didn’t need during a cost of living crisis.”
“Some of the cameras in the borough have already been deactivated. Obviously, that has nothing to do with us, we are not condoning any criminal activity.”
Six Weeks of ULEZ Nets TfL Over £8.8 Million
Data from City Hall, released at the end of January, has revealed that Transport for London (TfL) earned over £8.8 million in fines in just six weeks through the enforcement of the ULEZ rules, following the scheme’s expansion to encompass the entire of London.The expansion, which broadened the ULEZ’s reach to cover all of London back in September, resulted in the issuance of a total of 97,786 fines during its first six weeks of operation. ULEZ fines are levied on drivers operating non-compliant vehicles within the zone without paying the mandated £12.50 daily fee.
The standard fine is set at £180, although this is reduced to £90 if the payment is made within a 14-day window.
The revenue generated from these fines, from Sept. 26 to Nov. 6, 2023, has the potential to range between £8.8 million and £17.6 million.
