The London ULEZ is nothing but a scandalous money grabbing scam

[Retro]

UPDATE 30.08.2023

There's now anti-ULEZ protest movements should one want to join it. Unfortunately, I can't see them being effective now it's started: too little too late.

The website is here if you're interested:

Action Against ULEZ extension

anti-ulez.com

Home - Together Association

Together represents 300,000 UK signatories, uniting people to push back against growing infringements on our rights and freedoms.

togetherdeclaration.org

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What many of us, including myself had suspected, is that the London ULEZ scheme, and especially it's huge expansion into outer London on 29th August, is nothing but a scam to make money off millions - and this makes my blood boil as it will affect close family members. Also, you can be sure that in a shorter time than you'd think, they'll tighten the emissions requirements even further to put my car into the chargeable category too.

The big claim is that ULEZ leads to cleaner air and therefore better health, hence is worth the significant pain inflicted on millions of the poor and less well-off. I never believed that and now evidence has surfaced that it doesn't make any difference to air pollution and scientists trying to point this out have been silenced.

This should become a national scandal, potentially big enough to sink Labour's election chances if they don't speak out against this. It's certainly corruption on a scale that the tories do. Starmer still supports ULEZ, and given his position at the heart of politics, I'm sure he already knew it was a scam and hence he's complicit in it. In fact, it's possible for the current tory government to block this too, but they mysteriously haven't. Hmmm...

Sadiq Khan’s office tried to discredit and “silence” scientists who found that his ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) policy had little impact on pollution, The Telegraph can disclose.

In private emails seen by The Telegraph, Shirley Rodrigues, the London Mayor’s deputy for environment and energy, told Prof Frank Kelly she was “really disappointed” that Imperial College had publicised findings questioning the effectiveness of Ulez.

Prof Kelly, a director of Imperial’s Environmental Research Group, which has been paid more than £800,000 by Mr Khan’s office since 2021, agreed to issue a statement – partly written by Ms Rodrigues – saying Ulez had helped to “dramatically reduce air pollution”.

London Conservatives said the correspondence revealed an “alarmingly cosy relationship” between the Mayor’s office and the scientists it was funding, as well as a desire to “silence scientists who question the effectiveness of Khan’s policies”.

Prof Kelly’s colleagues said they stood by their research “100 per cent”, but The Telegraph understands that the fallout has had a chilling effect, leaving them unwilling to publish further work on the subject.

Khan tried to ‘silence’ scientists who questioned Ulez claims, emails show

Sadiq Khan’s office tried to discredit and “silence” scientists who found that his ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) policy had little impact on pollution, The Telegraph can disclose.

uk.style.yahoo.com

And now a couple of articles revealing a racist comment from Khan:

Sadiq Khan is facing calls to apologise after the Mayor of London’s website said a photograph of a white family “doesn’t represent real Londoners”.

Khan faces backlash after website says white family ‘doesn’t represent real Londoners’

Sadiq Khan is facing calls to apologise after the Mayor of London’s website said a photograph of a white family “doesn’t represent real Londoners”.

uk.style.yahoo.com

Sadiq Khan’s office under fire for suggesting white families ‘don’t represent real Londoners’

The Labour London mayor was criticised over the message, which appeared as part of a guide to his brand

uk.news.yahoo.com

This guy just keeps getting worse. Other than being a Remainer when it came to brexit, there's nothing good about him. Khan out at the mayoral election next year!

 

[TheURL]

The holes in the ULEZ expansion scheme are big enough to drive a tank through Fortunately for me, my tank is old enough (by 6 months) to be exempt.

 

[Retro]

I wish more councils had the guts to do this rather than just going along with this scam and they're doing this for the right reasons too: disproportionately impacting the less well off. Would be great if they also objected on the grounds of this being a scam as explained above, but that's wishful thinking.

No ULEZ signage “temporary, warning, or otherwise” will be allowed in Hertfordshire, an open letter has confirmed.

With London’s ultra low emission zone expansion set to come into force next week Hertfordshire County Council has published an open letter to residents.

It reiterated that it will not permit Transport for London to place ULEZ signage on Hertfordshire’s roads, despite London mayor Sadiq Khan urging the council to reverse its position earlier this month.

Hertfordshire's ULEZ stance confirmed as pleas 'fall on deaf ears'

No ULEZ signage “temporary, warning, or otherwise” will be allowed in Hertfordshire, an open letter has confirmed.

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Mars]

I wish more councils had the guts to do this rather than just going along with this scam and they're doing this for the right reasons too: disproportionately impacting the less well off. Would be great if they also objected on the grounds of this being a scam as explained above, but that's wishful thinking.

Hertfordshire's ULEZ stance confirmed as pleas 'fall on deaf ears'

No ULEZ signage “temporary, warning, or otherwise” will be allowed in Hertfordshire, an open letter has confirmed.

uk.news.yahoo.com

If only all councils did this the whole ULEZ think would have died the death; but they have no guts.
This is frustrating beyond belief, it actually clouds one's life. I never ever wished a man dead more then I wish it upon sadiqu kahn; his bloody cohorts deserve to fry in hell as well.
Our only hope is a win for the conservative mayoral candidate, who vowed that she will abolish ULEZ.

 

[Retro]

Frustrating indeed. And it's all based on fraudulent science.

I never thought I'd vote for a tory, but I will in this case. I'm skeptical that she'll actually shut it down, but we have to give her the chance.

 

[Retro]

Just when you thought Khan couldn't get any worse, it turns out that he wants to add to the pain with pay-per-mile road user charging and finds the idea "quite exciting". Thankfully, it looks like he'd be thwarted.

Sadiq Khan’s plans for pay-per-mile charging for motorists in a future Ulez-style scheme could be left in disarray under a new law to let councils that hit air quality targets opt out.

Mark Harper, the Transport Secretary, has written to Sir Keir Starmer warning that the Government will back an amendment to the Levelling-up and Regeneration Bill that would ensure that councillors could block “a Labour plan to use air pollution to attempt to justify” new car charges.

And then this:

Earlier this month, Mr Khan described “road-user charging” as “quite exciting”, explaining that it could help improve air quality “if you charge people on how many miles they drive, how polluting their vehicle is, what time of day they’re driving”.

City Hall has insisted there is no prospect of pay-per-mile charges “in the foreseeable future”, despite Richard Holden, the roads minister, claiming he had been told by Mr Khan’s deputy that Transport for London (TfL) bosses had been asked “to investigate the technicalities of introducing road charging across London in the future.”

Big Brother, much? Starmer almost has the general election in the bag, but he looks like he's trying to lose it by not pushing back against this. I'll take those denials with a pinch of salt. A really big one.

Sadiq Khan’s plans for pay-per-mile charges could be thwarted

Sadiq Khan’s plans for pay-per-mile charging for motorists in a future Ulez-style scheme could be left in disarray under a new law to let councils that hit air quality targets opt out.

uk.style.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

Uxbridge residents are understandably unhappy with this crappy ULEZ scheme.

In the pedestrianised centre of Uxbridge, there was not a car to be seen. But the people in the leafy outer London constituency had plenty to say about vehicles as the ultra-low emission zone extension came into force on Tuesday.

The borough of Hillingdon, which includes Uxbridge, is one of the outer London areas to which the pollution-busting scheme has been extended. Drivers of the oldest, most polluting vehicles now have to pay a daily charge to drive in the zone (£12.50 for cars and more for older coaches and lorries), although most vehicles are exempt.

‘It has come in too quickly’: sense of injustice in Uxbridge on day one of Ulez

Aggrieved residents in west London say ordinary motorists – rather than big airlines – are paying price of clean air scheme

www.theguardian.com

 

[TheURL]

You tend not to get cars in pedestrianised zones, whether they're in LEZs or not But seriously, I'm confused now - news reports said that only two local authorities allowed TFL to erect the ULEZ signage. Does that not render the expansion null and void? I guess they're just hoping people will be too lazy to (successfully) challenge it.

 

[Retro]

There's now a protest movement against ULEZ. I've updated the first post with it.

 

[Retro]

Oh, Khan would have just lurved this, wouldn't he? I reckon he was too scared of the backlash. Hopefully, he'll be voted out next year and the tory candidate will reverse ULEZ as they've promised. I have my doubts unfortunately, but with Khan and his cronies in power, it's certain to stay.

London mayor Sadiq Khan has dropped plans for a zero-emission vehicle zone in the centre of the capital.

The Labour’s mayor’s Transport Strategy published in March 2018 stated that he would “aim to deliver a zero-emission zone in central London from 2025”.

This would be expanded to inner London by 2040 and cover the whole city “by 2050 at the latest”.

The document also set out an ambition for “zero-emission zones in town centres from 2020”.

A Transport for London spokeswoman said: “We have no plans at present to progress the introduction of new zero-emission zones.

Sadiq Khan drops plan for zero-emission zone

The Labour’s mayor’s Transport Strategy published in 2018 stated that he would ‘aim to deliver a zero-emission zone in central London from 2025’.

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

The tories are calling out ULEZ for the money grabbing scam that it is. Let's hope the backlash eventually brings this down, but I'm not holding my breath.

Note that the tories are being counter called out for wanting to extend the congestion charge for the same reason. And I thought they were as white as the driven snow. Who knew?

In a round of media interviews on Tuesday, Harper argued that the expanded zone, which came into force at midnight, would have minimal impact on air quality.

“It’s not about air pollution, it’s about a money-raising exercise and this is absolutely not the time to be putting all those costs on hard-pressed and hardworking Londoners and those in the area outside London,” he told GB News.

Tories accused of hypocrisy in Ulez row after call to extend congestion charge

Ministers have claimed Ulez is cash-raising ploy – but letter reveals Grant Shapps backed a separate charge for same reason

www.theguardian.com

 

[Retro]

Please vote no to ULEZ in this poll. It's currently sitting at 86% no, hardly surprising.

Vote in Ulez poll - Let us know what you think of the emission zone

The controversial Ultra Low Emission Zone area has now expanded close to Bucks border.

www.bucksfreepress.co.uk

 

[Retro]

This is hardly surprising when the foundations are a lie.

Ulez will not help Sadiq Khan reach net zero by 2030, say experts

Sadiq Khan’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) will not help to reach his goal of achieving net zero by 2030, leading independent experts have warned.

uk.style.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

Another fine example of the ULEZ scam in action. At least this guy is going to get a refund for all the charges he's been forced to pay.

Plumber with private number plates on his vans wrongly forced to pay Ulez fines

A plumber who fitted personalised number plates to his fleet of vans has been forced to pay hundreds of pounds in Ulez fees despite his vehicles being compliant.

uk.style.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

At least we've got some protests, for what it's worth. Thing is, Khan will just ignore them, so what we really need is for tory* candidate Susan Hall to win the mayoral election in May.

Angry anti-ULEZ protesters set up camp outside Khan’s London home

Protesters against the ULEZ have set up camp outside London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s home.

uk.yahoo.com

*Yes I did say tory and I'm willing to hold my nose for this cause. I'll bet she goes back on her promise to scrap it though, but at least Khan would be gone.

 

[Retro]

Muppets.

Ulez: Harrow camera turned off after 927 drivers incorrectly fined

The camera in Harrow snared more than 900 drivers despite them not driving in the zone.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Retro]

Karma!

A camera van used to police the Ulez expansion was slapped with a £110 fine after it appeared to be parked illegally.

The TfL enforcement vehicle received the ticket when it pulled up on the pavement in Cambridge Road, Kingston on Tuesday.

It was spotted by independent councillor James Giles, who immediately called in the borough's traffic wardens.

He told the Standard: "There are plenty of legal places to park in that area. It causes problems for people with mobility issues, but also damages our highway to have heavy vans parked on the pavement like that.

"I thought it was important to send a message that they are not above the law."

ULEZ camera van slapped with £110 fine 'for illegal parking'

The camera van was hit with a fixed penalty notice after being spotted parked on the pavement in Kingston

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Retro]

As if there wasn't enough evidence of what a total scam ULEZ is, here's news about how they scam European motorists with illegal access to European car databases to commit illegal shakedowns with dodgy bailiffs.

Thousands of fines sent to EU drivers by TfL debt collection agent may be unlawful, Belgian transport ministry claims

Thousands of fines for breaches of London’s ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) rules may have been sent unlawfully to drivers of EU-registered vehicles, Belgian authorities claim.

The Belgian ministry for transport has ordered an investigation into alleged criminal breaches of data rules after motorists received penalty charge notices from a collections agent acting for Transport for London (TfL).

Since Brexit, UK authorities do not have access to personal data of EU citizens for non-criminal enforcement. However, drivers in several EU countries have received fines, many totalling thousands of pounds, for failing to register their Ulez-compliant cars with TfL before driving into London.

Some have been penalised mistakenly under the separate low emissions zone (Lez) that covers heavy goods vehicles entering Greater London. One driver was fined nearly £11,000 after a three-day visit in a hire car.

Belgium investigating alleged criminal breach of data protection laws over London Ulez fines

Thousands of fines sent to EU drivers by TfL debt collection agent may be unlawful, Belgian transport ministry believes

www.theguardian.com

 

[TheURL]

But was the hire-car registered in the UK or in Belgium?

 

[Retro]

Must have been Belgium, or they wouldn't have broken the law.

 

[TheURL]

But the Belgian ministry says ULEZ should not apply to EU-registered vehicles. It does apply to UK-registered cars, whatever the driver's nationality. I'm just saying that the article does not make it clear.

 

[Retro]

The first paragraph is quite clear:

Thousands of fines for breaches of London’s ultra-low emissions zone (Ulez) rules may have been sent unlawfully to drivers of EU-registered vehicles, Belgian authorities claim.

Sorry, I'm reading your question and have read the article again and I don't see where the problem is.

What matters is where the car was registered, not the nationality of the driver. So, for example, an Englishman could go to Belgium, buy a car registered there, drive it here, not register it on the ULEZ website and then get nailed for it by crooked TfL and their crooked agents breaking the law to get the driver's details from that EU database. Or in other words, ULEZ indeed doesn't apply to EU registered vehicles as there's no data sharing agreement to use that information for extorting money from motorists.

And yes, if a car is registered here, it does apply regardless of the nationality of the driver. Note, that if the car is compliant, no registration is required, the system already knows it is - apart from those few cockups I posted about the other day.

Maybe I'm missing something here, but that's how it looks to me.

 

[TheURL]

I didn't say there was a problem - only that that the article did not state where the hire-car was registered. That's all.

 

[Retro]

Right, I see which bit you're querying. That paragraph links to a previous article about it which states that it was a French car. Without looking that up, it's indeed unclear. I've quoted it below, with the link intact - I normally strip them from quotes.

Note that there's a bug in the Ukraine theme that doesn't highlight links, something I'll fix One Day(tm) so just run the mouse pointer over the text.

Some have been penalised mistakenly under the separate low emissions zone (Lez) that covers heavy goods vehicles entering Greater London. One driver was fined nearly £11,000 after a three-day visit in a hire car.

 

[Retro]

More evidence of the scam that is ULEZ. Not a single benefit claim is true. It's all about screwing people over for money - and this coming from a Labour politician no less. This is the kind of crap I'd expect from the tories.

A row has broken out after a draft report by the advertising watchdog claimed London Mayor Sadiq Khan misled the public about the benefits of the ultra low emission zone (Ulez).

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) launched an investigation into claims made by Transport for London in advertisements about the Ulez, which expanded across all London boroughs on 29 August.

The adverts, which were broadcast and published between January and June, claimed that the existing Ulez in central London had “almost halved levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2)” and that “most air pollution related deaths actually occur in outer London”.

But a draft of the watchdog’s conclusions, leaked to The Sunday Telegraph, found that the Ulez adverts were misleading because they “did not clarify” that claims about NO2 levels were based on estimates or modelled scenarios and not actual figures.

The investigators said: “In the absence of qualifying information consumers were likely to understand that the claims were based on actual figures, not estimates or modelled scenarios, and that NO2 concentrations had been seen to reduce by almost a half.”

Sadiq Khan 'misled London public over ULEZ benefits'

It is believed TfL will “strongly challenge” the draft conclusions by the Advertising Standards Authority

uk.news.yahoo.com