Tory council leader in Hertfordshire refuses to erect Ulez signs

Tory council leader in Hertfordshire refuses to erect signs warning of ULEZ on London border as it would ‘endorse’ Sadiq Khan’s plans

  • Hertfordshire Council leader Richard Roberts said he will not put up Ulez signs
  • The local authority chief instead refused to ‘endorse’ Sadiq Khan’s plans

The head of Hertfordshire council has vowed not to put up sings warning drivers of London’s newly expanded ultra-low emission zone. 

Hertfordshire County Council boss Richard Roberts told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that the local authority will not put up infrastructure to mark the zone. 

The Tory council leader instead said putting up signs for Ulez on London’s border would act as an endorsement of Sadiq Khan’s plans to expand the zone’s area. 

London’s Ulez sees drivers in high emissions vehicles forced to pay charges of £12.50 a day to drive into the low emissions zone. 

The capital’s Ulez, which initially only covered central London, is set to be expanded to cover all 32 London boroughs on 29 August 2023. 

Hertfordshire council leader Richard Roberts told BBC Radio 4 that putting up Ulez signs would act as an endorsement of London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s (pictured) plans

Hertfordshire council leader Mr Riverts has however said he will not erect signs warning drivers they are approaching the new area, when the expanded Ulez comes into force.

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: ‘(Sadiq Khan) has created a tax border and I don’t want to put signs up, the mayor’s signs, which in any way suggest that we endorse his plans.

‘His cameras and his signs are already in place and there are national signs on our major infrastructure, on motorways, our main trunk roads, there are already signs up there.

‘We may consider using our own visual boards that we have around the county at some point, but in terms of putting an infrastructure of signs up which effectively endorses the mayor’s plans, we’re not going to do that.’  

The Ulez is set to be expanded to cover all 32 London boroughs on 29 August 2023

The expanded Ulez is aimed at reducing air pollution in London by deterring people from driving heavily polluted vehicles. 

Transport for London claims 90 per cent of all cars driven in outer London are Ulez compliant and that the majority of drivers will not be forced to pay the charge. 

People who own non-Ulez compliant vehicles are also eligible to receive grants from the Mayor of London’s £110million scrappage scheme. 

Ulez charges are however set to hit drivers who own older cars, vans and motorbikes.

Limited exemptions from the Ulez for non-compliant cars are available to NHS patients, Taxis, and vehicles for disabled people.  

Source: Read Full Article