WE'RE FUMING
Defiant Sadiq Khan doubles down on hated ULEZ just days before expansion as drivers warn of ‘devastation’
DEFIANT Sadiq Khan doubled down on his hated Ulez expansion plan today as drivers warned of "devastation".
And the London Mayor sparked fury as he compared opponents of the scheme to crazy Covid conspiracy theorists.
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Ulez will extend to cover the entirety of Greater London in just five days.
Motorists whose cars don't meet strict environmental standards will be whacked with a £12.50 daily charge.
On LBC this morning distraught mother Lorraine told the London Mayor that Ulez will confide her disabled son, who cannot use public transport, to the house.
Under current council red tape his "hidden disabilities" don't make the family car eligible for an exemption from the charges.
Lorraine said: "I'm devastated, because what does this mean for my family?
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"We're not going to be able to go anywhere and we're going to have no quality of life.
"We cannot afford to pay the Ulez every day."
The devastated mum, whose vehicle is on finance and has now plunged in value, will need to find £5,000 just to get rid of the car.
She told The Sun: "It’s disgusting that we’re being discriminated against.
"I don't know what I'm going to do. I know there are a lot of parents like me who are in the same situation.
"I've been having breakdowns over this."
Window cleaner Lance, from Abbots Langley, told Mr Khan he'll soon be slapped with a £12.50 charge just for having to travel 100 meters into the clean air zone to work.
His heavy and large equipment rules out travel on public transport.
Lance asked the Mayor: "Do you think that's fair?
"The millage I've done is around 100 metres. Is there anywhere around it?"
Mr Khan laid blame on the Westminster government for not coughing up enough money to help families switch vehicle.
And he slated some Ulez critics as conspiracy theorists.
Mr Khan said: "I did expect people to have genuine concerns and I've been listening to those genuine concerns.
"I didn't expect this to be weaponized by others who you and I've exchanged with who didn't believe COVID was real, believed in conspiracy theories and so forth."
Currently City Hall is offering grants up to £2,000 to those who ditch motors that fail to meet the emissions standards.
The Mayor said: "The best way to clean up air is by clean air zones.
"This was (always) the direction of travel.
"But fo reasons probably only Rishi Sunak and the government can answer, they're refusing to give any support to London, even though they're rightly requiring us to clean up our air."
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Mr Khan added: "There's a whole host of health issues from asthma to cancer to heart disease.
"I support the government in their objectives but I'm imploring them to help us with the transition."
A spokesperson for the Mayor said: “TfL has contacted Lorraine and her family and is working to ensure they get the help they need.
“The Mayor has been clear that expanding the ULEZ was an incredibly difficult decision but necessary to save lives and protect children’s lungs.
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"While 9 out of 10 cars seen in outer London won’t have to pay a penny, for those who need it, help is available in the form of exemptions and discounts for disabled and eligible NHS patients, and thousands of pounds in support for anyone with a non-compliant vehicle.”
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