In a letter, Conservative MP for Dartford Gareth Johnson wrote to Sadiq Khan, calling for the Mayor of London to suspend the ULEZ scheme during industrial action on the TFL network.
Mr Johnson claimed that constituents in Dartford has described ULEZ charges as a “stealth tax” that was “nothing more than a stealth tax and impacts the poorest in our communities the hardest.”
The ULEZ was expanded on August 29, 2023, to cover all of Greater London, with owners of non-compliant vehicles travelling through the zone charged a daily fee of £12.50.
This was one of two proposed concessions put forward to the Mayor following an upcoming Private Members Bill, in the hope of reversing the decision, which is due for a second reading in Parliament on March 22.
If passed, the Bill would reverse the ULEZ expansion and seek to return the charging zone to the one previously in operation.
It would additionally give the Secretary of State the power to reject any further attempt by the Mayor, or any future Mayor, to reintroduce it, or any similar scheme in the future.
In his letter, Mr Johnson described the daily charge as an “unfair tax” on working people which “hits the poorest hardest”.
Gareth claimed that the concession was a result of Dartford residents, living on the border with London, having to drive into central London during strike days, resulting in ULEZ charges for non-compliant vehicles.
Mr Johnson wrote: “Despite your commitment to end strikes, there have been over 130 strike days during your tenure as Mayor, over four times as many as your predecessor.
“For many, there is simply no other option but to drive to London and park on dates when there is industrial action.”
Mr Johnson put forward an additional concession asking that only non-compliant vehicles with a registered owner within the London boundary should be subject to the £12.50 ULEZ charge.
He added this would be to ensure “the charging scheme is only impacting those who can vote for you.”
Mr Johnson invited the fellow MP and Mayor to discuss the Bill, and to consider implementing concessions on the existing ULEZ scheme in advance of the second reading in March.
Mr Johnson said: “Dartfordians do not vote for you and have told me they feel powerless to stop the expansion, so you will understand why the success of this Bill is so important to them.”
In a statement, the Mayor’s Office said ministers have provided funding for cities across the UK in a bid to introduce clean air and that they had received no indication that ministers intend to renege on their commitment.
A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: “The Mayor has been clear that the decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone London-wide was not an easy one, but necessary to tackle toxic air pollution and protect Londoners’ health.
“Ministers have given funding to numerous UK cities to introduce clean air zones including in Birmingham and Bristol, and the Government is under legal obligations to tackle air pollution.
“We have received no indication that ministers intend to renege on their commitment to devolution in cities and communities across the country.
“With the help of the Mayor’s £160m scrappage scheme, 95 per cent of all vehicles seen driving in London on an average day now meet clean air standards and do not need to pay the daily ULEZ charge. The Mayor continues to call on the Government to fund a national scrappage scheme which would cover the wider south-east, and has asked elected officials to join him in lobbying the Government for additional financial support.
“Before the pandemic and the subsequent emergency funding deals, the number of days lost due to strikes action had reduced by over 70 per cent compared to the previous Mayor’s time in office. This is a result of the constructive engagement between Transport for London, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and his office, and the trade unions.”
