Londoners are scathing about Sadiq Khan’s London Mayor’s ULEZ expansion, saying that it is essentially a tax on recycling.
Residents of leafy Richmond claim that their local waste center has been taken into the ultra-low emission zone after it was expanded on Monday.
It means residents living in the town and driving older vehicles face a £12.50 charge if they want to take their recycling to the local tip.
In an attempt to reduce carbon emissions in the capital, the controversial area was expanded to include all areas within the North Circular roads. This is home to approximately 3.8million people.
Townmead Road Reuse and Recycling Centre, Richmond, south-west London, has been placed in the ULEZ Zone.
Richmond, the district that the recycling center serves, isn’t.
Residents feel the move is unfair on those who want to do the right things in the community.
They were even more furious when Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, urged them to drive to Hounslow to recycle. This is a trip that is three times longer.
The ULEZ zone includes Richmond’s Townmead Road Reuse & Recycling Centre. The recycling centre is not located in Richmond, the nearest district. Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, advised Richmond residents to drive to Space Waye recycling centre in Hounslow. This is a three-hour drive.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the ULEZ has been criticized by furious residents who claim it amounts to them being ‘taxed for recycling’
Residents of leafy Richmond have reported that their local recycling center has been taken into the ultra-low emission zone as a result of Monday’s expansion. It means residents living outside the zone with older vehicles face a £12.50 charge if they want to drive their recycling to the local tip
Residents were further outraged when Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London (pictured), advised them to drive to a recycling center in Hounslow, a trip that is more than three times as far.
James Coleman, a 36-year old business director, said that it was a pain in the tail for anyone who wants to bury or recycle their loved ones at the cemetery.
“Taxing people to do the right thing seems unfair at a time when the future is being discussed at COP26.
It is only used by residents who wish to save the earth or bury loved ones.
“I will definitely drag my Christmas tree down the road this year, instead of driving.”
“Saying residents could go to Hounslow seems like an insincere response and doesn’t solve the problem.
The decision to expand ULEZ was made in order to remove polluting vehicles from the capital’s busy streets, and to improve residents’ health.
Coleman stated that the camera was mounted on a small side road and is intended to provide community services. He believes it is targeting people in an inappropriate way.
“I think the boundary is clear, but this seems like an obvious way to go.”
“I know you can’t please everybody, but this is an acceptable reason to rethink.”
Monday’s ULEZ zone expansion saw the former zone expand 18 times.
Although the Ulez is now in operation since April 2019, it was previously limited to the same area of central London that the Congestion Charge covered.
In an effort to improve the air quality, it now includes all areas of the North Circular roads.
Drivers of vehicles which do not comply with minimum emissions standards are being now being charged £12.50-a-day.
Diesel cars must have been registered as soon as possible after September 2015. Most petrol models, however, are exempt from the charge.
It is another blow for drivers as it comes as the petrol price has reached a new high record. Around 130,000 drivers are thought to be impacted.
As part of the expansion, the recycling centre is now located just short the A205 South Circular boundary that runs over Kew Bridge.
A camera can capture anyone who leaves the recycling centre or Mortlake crematorium on Townmead Road.
Residents and councillors are worried about the availability of key services.
Angrily angry residents also pointed out the contradiction between reducing emissions and encouraging people to recycle.
Frances Mary, a 28-year-old content writer, lives just off Townmead Road. She said that it was frustrating to see people who want to do good being punished.
James Coleman, 36, a nearby business director, said: “It’s a pain in the tail for people who want to recycle their loved ones or bury them at the cemetery.
Drivers of vehicles which do not comply with minimum emissions standards are being now being charged £12.50-a-day
A camera can capture anyone leaving the Mortlake Crematorium or recycling centre (pictured on Townmead Road).
“While there may not be many affected motorists, any barrier to recycling doesn’t help the bigger picture.
“I wish there had been more thought about the boundary line. This is a strange way to include it in ULEZ.
Sadiq Khan, however, has refused to grant any exemptions and stated that 80 percent of drivers will not be affected.
He advised residents to visit an alternative centre in Hounslow if the vehicle exceeds ULEZ threshold.
The mayor wrote in his letter: ‘The goal of ULEZ was to reduce harmful emissions from roads transport.
This is important because poor air quality can stunt children’s growth and worsen chronic illnesses like asthma and heart disease.
“An Imperial College London study found that toxic air in 2019 contributed to the premature death of more than 4000 Londoners.”
Khan said: ‘Richmond residents with vehicles that do NOT meet the standards, and who do not wish to pay the ULEZ fee or use a waste collection service can use the Space Waye reuse-and-recycling centre in Hounslow.
MailOnline reached out to the London Mayor’s office for comment.
The zone now covers areas within the north-south circular roads. It has been expanded to reduce air pollution and NO2 levels that can be harmful to the lungs.
Where you live, will you be subject to an emission tax on your vehicle? In the next 12 months, pollution zones will be rolled out across the country. This means that many owners of older cars may have to purchase a new vehicle or face heavy charges.
It comes after three in five motorists admit to being unaware London’s pollution charge zone for older vehicles was being expanded today as 130,000 drivers face being landed with the £12.50-a-day charge.
According to Motorway’s study, only 43% of drivers are aware of the expansion.
Motorway found that only 35% of respondents knew how to check if their vehicle conforms with ULEZ. Even fewer were confident about the new boundaries.
Three quarters of panel members were interviewed in Greater London. The remainder were within an hour of the capital. The research was conducted weeks ahead of expansion, between 6 and 13.
London Mayor Khan said Monday that the expansion was a matter of social justice.
“Who do we think is most affected by toxic air? It’s the poorest Londoners that are least likely not to own a vehicle. Black, Asian, and other minority Londoners are all excluded. Six out ten residents of the expanded area don’t even own a vehicle.
‘And the area we’re going to be covering, the population of almost four million, is twice the size of Paris, eight times the size of Manchester – doing nothing is not an option.’
Shaun Bailey, a former Tory mayoral candidate, was one of those who criticised the move. He tweeted: “My mother, my son, and I are all asthmatics so I am with anyone who wants to clean our air. There are other ways to reduce air pollution than the ULEZ. It will only punish the poorest …’.