A Conservative London Assembly member has suggested the fee could see riots in the capital like the ones in Paris
SADIQ Khan's new pollution charge is set to hit one million drivers with an extra £12.50 and could see riots flare up in the capital as they have done across the channel in France.
The Mayor of London confirmed that the Ultra Low Emission Zone - which comes into force next year - will cover huge swathes of London including areas by the North and South circular roads by October 2021.
By charging £12.50 a day cash-strapped Transport for London will cash in between £700 million and £1.5 billion. The congestion charge only brings in £230 million a year.
Leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly Gareth Bacon told that the controversial plans could see Mr Khan "have his own gilets jaunes moment once people realise they will be paying up to £4,000 a year more to drive their own cars".
The French riots have seen more than 100 injured, more than 1,000 arrested and the city locked down during a "day of rage".
The civil unrest was ignited by protest over rising fuel taxes but has since spiralled and seen tear gas and grenades lobbed about between rioters and police.
Mr Bacon also said: "This could be Sadiq's poll tax.
"It has flown under the radar and people do no know what is going to hit them."
Poll tax was a controversial policy introduced by Margaret Thatcher during 1989 in an attempt to help fund local government.
It has often been attributed as one of the polices that lead to her downfall as it was seen as shifting the focus of tax onto the poor and away from the rich.
And now it seems Mr Khan could be following in the former Prime Ministers footsteps and sealing his own fate.
It is thought small businesses could be hit hard by the £12.50 charge if they don't realise their vehicle is affected
The London Mayor confirmed the plans to introduce the ULEZ earlier this year following concerns about pollution in the capital.
The initial part of the scheme comes into force on April 8 next year and will see vehicles driving within the area needing to meet tighter emissions standards of pay the daily fee to travel.
It will cover a huge stretch of the capital and raise up to six times more than the current congestion charge.
It will hit those driving older vehicles across a major part of London facing the £12.50 levy to drive their cars.
By 2021 the fee will be extended to people driving petrol cars that are more than 15-years-old and disel cars that are older than six.
His plans to improve the quality of air include the introduction of the T-Charge last year which is set to be superseded by ULEZ in 2019.
It is estimated that an additional 100,000 cars, 3,000 lorries and 35,000 vans will be affected by the expanded zone every day.
But TfL's "intergrated impact assessment" claims about 565,000 cars registered in the capital will be liable if driven.
It also says 276,000 vans registered in London will also be hit, as well as minicabs and HGVs, bringing the total vehicle that could be affected to one million.
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