Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pleaded with three councils to permit new signs warning drivers of the expansion of the capital’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) to be installed on their land.
A spokeswoman for Mr Khan urged Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire county councils to “do what’s best for their residents and drivers”.
The Ulez will be extended to cover the whole of London from August 29.
Non-compliant vehicles that enter the zone from that date will be charged a £12.50 daily fee.
The mayor is urging these three county councils to put their politics aside— Mayor of London's spokeswoman
Mr Khan is concerned that the failure of some county councils to let Transport for London (TfL) erect signs warning drivers they are approaching the new area could lead some people to enter it by mistake.
The mayor’s spokeswoman said: “Councils have a responsibility to ensure their residents and all motorists are aware of important changes that may impact drivers.
“By refusing to allow TfL to install Ulez warning signs at key junctions, these councils outside London are not fulfilling their responsibility to ensure their residents and other motorists have all the information they need to avoid driving into the Ulez inadvertently.
“The mayor is urging these three county councils to put their politics aside and do what’s best for their residents and drivers.”
City Hall said TfL has offered to pay the full cost of installing and maintaining signs.
National Highways has co-operated with TfL, meaning signage is in place on major roads leading to the new Ulez boundary.
Matt Furniss, cabinet member for transport at Surrey County Council, said the local authority will refuse to allow TfL to install signs on its roads “whilst there isn’t any mitigation in place to minimise the impact of the expansion on Surrey residents”.
We stand by our decision not to adopt Ulez signage for as long as there is no mitigation to minimise the impact of the expansion of the scheme on Kent residents— Kent County Council
He added: “Whilst the extended scrappage scheme looks to be a step in the right direction, this will have no impact on those outside of London.”
Mr Khan announced earlier this month that a scrappage scheme for non-compliant cars worth up to £2,000 would be extended to include all Londoners – not just those receiving benefits – from August 21.
A Kent County Council (KCC) spokeswoman said: “We fully understand and appreciate our obligations as a highways authority, and the safety of road users is always our priority.
“We stand by our decision not to adopt Ulez signage for as long as there is no mitigation to minimise the impact of the expansion of the scheme on Kent residents.
“KCC is committed to the aim of improving air quality, but this must go hand-in-hand with appropriate mitigations, including better availability of public transport – something the mayor is looking to reduce for non-Londoners with the withdrawal of the day travelcard.
“More recently we note that the mayor of London is potentially looking to raise more money through the potential introduction of tolls at the Blackwall Tunnel.
“This is another indication that he has no consideration for the impact it could have on Kent residents and businesses to be further financially penalised.”
A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: “The expansion of the ULEZ zone by the Mayor of London to Hertfordshire’s borders will price some of the lowest paid in our county off the roads.
“No amount of signage will change the fact that our residents and businesses face a £12.50 penalty for travelling into the capital.
“It’s time for the Mayor to do the right thing and pause the expansion before redrawing the boundary to start at public transport hubs in outer London.”
In July, a High Court judge threw out a legal challenge from the outer London boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon – along with Surrey County Council – to the expansion of the Ulez scheme.
TfL is planning to stop selling day travelcards from January, meaning many people travelling into the capital will pay more for public transport.
It was announced in September last year that charges for the Blackwall Tunnel – a pair of tunnels under the Thames in east London – will be introduced in 2025 alongside the opening of the nearby Silvertown Tunnel.
