The extension of the London Mayor’s scrappage scheme to help low-income families purchase greener cars has run out of funds.
The proposal was introduced in February 2019 to help those from poorer households buy more environmentally friendly cars.
The extension comes into place next week, but the £60m package will not meet demand, it has been revealed.
ULEZ is due to expand from central London to the boundaries of the North and South Circular Zones on Monday 25 October, as part of Sadiq Khan’s initiative to clean up the city’s air.
Sadiq Khan stressed the need to reduce pollution in London, and said: “Pollution isn’t just a central London problem, which is why expanding the ULEZ later this year will benefit Londoners across the whole of the city and is a crucial step in London’s green recovery.
“There is no time to waste. We know pollution hits the poorest Londoners the hardest which is why I’m doing everything I can to improve the health for all Londoners.”
The expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone on 25 October is only 7 days away.
It’s an action we must take to help clean up our city’s air and save lives.
If you need to check if your vehicle is meeting the emission standards or would like further information, visit @TfL: ⬇️
— Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan (@MayorofLondon) October 18, 2021
The scrappage scheme is only eligible to those receiving Universal Credit, child tax credit, pension credit or working tax credit.
However, it has been reported that the scheme only has enough funding left to help 1,500 families before Monday’s ULEZ zone expansion.
There are still reportedly 138,000 non-compliant vehicles within the new ULEZ boundaries.
If vehicles do not meet the ULEZ standards, their owners will have to pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive within these zones, with lorry drivers paying £100.
Only drivers with petrol vehicles registered after 2005, and diesel vehicles registered after 2015 are exempt from the new charges.
ULEZ was implemented in London in April 2019 with the aim of improving air quality in the city by introducing a levy on the most polluting vehicles.
It initially covered the same geographical area as the London Congestion Charge Zone.
But unlike the Congestion Zone, the ULEZ charge applies 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Philip Hewson, head of Strategy and Performance at TFL, said that the ULEZ scheme had seen “a record-breaking uptake in less-polluting vehicles.”
However, he added that TFL would wait to measure the compliance levels after the 25 October extension before putting more money into the scrappage scheme.
