Legal bid to stop Ulez expansion quashed as Khan vows to do ‘everything possible’ to help drivers


Councillor Simon Fawthrop speaking to the media outside the Royal Courts of Justice, central London, after five Conservative-led councils lost their High Court challenge against Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's plans to expand the capital's ultra low emission zone (Ulez), July 28, 2023

ULEZ will be expanded across London a month from Saturday after the High Court today dismissed a legal bid to stop it by five Tory-led councils.

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said he will “do everything possible” to mitigate concerns over costs to drivers following the scheme’s expansion.

The case to prevent extending the scheme beyond the North and South Circular roads was brought by the outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon and Surrey County Council.

Dismissing it today, Mr Justice Swift said he is satisfied the extension is within the mayor’s powers.

The AA urged Mr Khan to give people “more time to react” to the change while the RAC called on him to give “additional support” to key workers.

App Drivers and Couriers Union general secretary James Farrar said that while they welcome efforts to improve air quality, Mr Khan has “undermined his own policy by facilitating runaway growth of on-demand apps like Uber, Bolt and Addison Lee.”

“If the mayor is to secure his environmental legacy then he must have the courage to tackle the terrible social and environmental impact of the gig economy and commit to a just transition to sustainable transport in London where workers are not burdened with the cost of consumer waste,” he told the Star.

Kev Ashby, a regional officer at the United Road Transport Union (Urtu), said: “It is unfortunate that our members, once again, find themselves having to deal with the practical difficulties that arise from the Tories ideological aversion to maintaining the infrastructure of the country in a manner that would benefit the citizens and the economy.

"Urtu fully endorses the London Mayor’s decision to expand the ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone’ and supports the Court’s decision.”

Nader Awaad, chair of the United Private Hire Drivers branch of the Independent Workers’ union of Great Britain (IWGB), said: “We need urgent action, but it shouldn’t fall on working people to foot the bill.

“Rather than tax the poor, the government should shift the financial burden of ULEZ towards the gig economy giants who profit from this environmentally damaging work.

“We can and must clean our air without forcing already precarious private hire drivers further into poverty."

Transport for London (TfL) said that nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day comply with the Ulez standards and will not be charged the £12.50 daily fee for entering its zone.

From Monday, access to the scheme providing grants supporting the scrapping of non-compliant vehicles in London will be extended to include all families in receipt of child benefit and small businesses.