Sadiq Khan will not should pay the ULEZ cost: London mayor’s taxpayer-funded luxurious 2020 Vary Rover is exempt from the £12.50-a-day charge!
London Mayor Sadiq Khan could have no worries driving round London in his taxpayer funded luxurious Vary Rover as soon as the Extremely Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) comes into power – as will probably be exempt from the cost.
Whereas drivers of older, cheaper vehicles must pay £12.50 for getting into ULEZ, Mr Khan can sit again and revel in his snug trip as he’s ferried across the capital in his £300,000 James Bond fashion armoured plated car, which is offered for him by the Metropolitan Police.
The ULEZ charge will apply to autos that don’t meet minimal emissions requirements however usually impacts diesel vehicles registered earlier than 2015 and vehicles registered previous to 2005.
Luckily for Mr Khan, his lavish 2020 Vary Rover, paid for by public funds, doesn’t fall into this class, in contrast to the state of affairs many hard-up motorists in and round London face, who’re having to both purchase new autos or pay the ULEZ cost.
Those that don’t pay the £12.50 cost will probably be fined £180.
Sadiq Khan won’t have to fret about paying the ULEZ cost when it comes into power on Tuesday as his taxpayer-funded automotive is exempt
The Mayor’s Vary Rover Sentinel inbuilt 2020 won’t should pay the £12.50 cost
ULEZ initially coated inner-London however is now set to broaden to cowl all of the capital’s boroughs from 29 August, igniting widespread fury at its monetary influence on drivers and Mr Khan’s willpower to carry it into power.
As drivers in and across the capital brace themselves for the brand new cost, he was pictured strolling alongside streets near his London dwelling along with his Vary Rover carefully following behind.
Native resident Jason Delaney informed MailOnline: ‘We see him strolling round right here quite a bit within the mornings and the automotive’s all the time behind him. I’m not fairly certain the place he’s going however maybe it’s to the Tube station as a result of the visitors round right here is terrible.
‘Paradoxically, it’s due to all of the cycle lanes and visitors calming measures that his Labour administration helps. Perhaps it’s simpler for Mr Khan to stroll than use his fancy automotive? If he’s not utilizing it, then why have it? I’m certain it prices us all some huge cash.’
One other resident added: ‘ULEZ goes to value individuals some huge cash however not Mr Khan. It’s all proper for him to have a brand new automotive that doesn’t should pay the charge however what about the remainder of us?
‘Not less than he will get to avoid wasting £12.50 per day however I do know lots of people gained’t. It doesn’t appear truthful to me.’
Mr Khan’s luxurious Vary Rover has a five-litre engine and is bulletproof with spike-proof tyres and armoured glass
The £300,000 state-of-the-art car was given to Mr Khan by Scotland Yard following threats to his life
Mr Khan’s top-end, ULEZ-exempt Vary Rover Sentinel is bullet proof and decked out with under-floor blast safety, armoured glass, spike-proof tyres, a five-litre engine and an emergency escape system.
Manufactured by Land Rover, it could additionally stand up to excessive velocity armour piercing rounds and 15kg of TNT explosives. It additionally has a back-up energy provide on board.
He was given the pricey state-of-the artwork automotive together with a safety element by Scotland Yard following threats to his life.
A spokesperson for Mr Khan insisted that the car will not be offered by Metropolis Corridor and that he makes use of it ‘on police recommendation attributable to threats to his security.’
Transport for London, which is able to administer ULEZ estimates that 9 out of ten vehicles seen driving in outer London on a median day adjust to air pollution requirements and will probably be exempt.
However figures obtained by the RAC present greater than 690,000 licensed vehicles in the entire of London are prone to be non-compliant with many drivers both pressured to pay the charge every day or scrap their autos all collectively.
To placate indignant drivers in London, Mr Khan has launched a £2,000 scrappage scheme to assist them getting a brand new automotive that meets requirements.
However this doesn’t have in mind different kinds of autos or these which enter London from neighbouring counties, who usually are not entitled to any sort of compensation.
Final month, Mr Khan gained a Excessive Courtroom problem from 4 outer London boroughs in opposition to ULEZ who claimed that it had not been thought-about correctly.
However Mr Justice Swift present in favour of the Mayor and dominated that his plans to broaden the zone was legally sound.
A Excessive Courtroom problem from 4 outer London boroughs in opposition to the ULEZ growth was rejected final month after Mr Khan’s scheme was discovered to be legally sound
However critics have continued to take care of that ULEZ is nothing greater than a ‘money seize’ by Mr Khan.
Steve Tuckwell, the Tory MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip, whose west London seat will probably be affected by the levy rollout, stated: ‘We have identified all alongside that ULEZ growth was all concerning the cash for Mayor Khan.
‘He wants to come back clear and admit his ULEZ growth is nothing greater than a money seize.’
Fellow Tory Louie French, whose Previous Bexley and Sidcup constituency will even be impacted by the growth, stated: ‘Most Londoners can see very clearly that drivers in Better London are getting used as a money cow to fill the black gap in TfL’s funds attributable to seven years of Sadiq Khan.
‘Sadiq Khan’s personal impartial influence report highlighted that ULEZ growth to the suburbs would solely have a negligible influence on enhancing air high quality.’
Ministers are unable to dam the growth due to powers devolved to Mr Khan in laws launched underneath Sir Tony Blair’s Labour authorities.
However they’re going through calls to re-write this laws so schemes like ULEZ may be blocked by ministers in future and even retrospectively.
The Metropolitan Police has been contacted for remark.
