KHAN'T BEAR IT
LONDON’S ULEZ scheme has been thrown into chaos on its first day as dozens of camera were vandalised and cut down.
Councils have also refused to allow London Mayor Sadiq Khan to put up signs warning drivers about the expanded zone which came into force today.
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The clean air scheme imposes a daily charge of £12.50 on drivers of some older vehicles entering the capital.
As the widened Ultra Low Emission Zone came into force, some opponents took matters into their own hands.
Anti-ULEZ protesters clashed with police outside Downing Street as tensions hit boiling point.
One man in a high-vis jacket was dragged to the ground and restrained by police following a tussle with cops before being shoved back into the crowd.
And cameras were vandalised in South and West London while other drivers taped up their registration plates to avoid detection.
Several cameras whose poles were cut down had cardboard boxes places next to them emblazoned with No to ULEZ.
In Hillingdon, West London, one witness who saw the remains of a vandalised ULEZ camera pole said: “So happy to see this in our beautiful green Hillingdon village! The air is clean here so he can F off…”
Other cameras were covered with stickers, rendering them useless.
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All of the cameras close to the village of Harefield, in North West London, are thought to have been targeted.
And of the seven councils neighbouring London which are in the expanded zone as of today, six have not signed an agreement with Transport for London (TfL) to set up warning signs.
That means many roads into London will not have notices and drivers could be fined.
Kent along with Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Essex, Surrey and Thurrock councils have refused to give permission for the signage.
Only Slough has reached an agreement with TfL.
The charge will only apply if the vehicle fails to meet emission standards.
RAC spokesperson Simon Williams said opposing the London Mayor’s plan might not be the most effective tactic.
He told BBC London: "I think the councils who are contesting or battling the mayor of London probably need to just give in and give drivers a little bit of advance warning."
He added: "I think people do need a good advance warning of the fact they're entering the ULEZ zone so it's time that councils stopped resisting and actually go ahead and put up the signs so everyone approaching the zone from all directions has adequate warning.”
Khan has extended the scrappage scheme to all London residents who are currently driving non-compliant vehicles.
An extra £50million has been set aside for the initiative where Londoners can trade in vehicles in exchange for grants of £2,000 for cars and £1,000 for motorbikes.
However, there has been no announcement for people who live outside London and who regularly travel into the city.
Martin Gough, the leader of Kent Council, said: "We're not prepared to facilitate a scheme against the interests of our residents and for which the mitigation others in London have been offered, have not been offered."
According to TfL, London’s deputy mayor for transport, Seb Dance, had criticised the decision by the councils, saying they were “letting down residents.”
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Dance also said that if drivers were fined due to a lack of warning about the scheme then councils should bear the responsibility.
Previously, the Mayor’s spokesperson had said the refusal to erect signage might make councils accountable for drivers not being “fully aware” of the ULEZ boundaries.
They also pointed out that county highways authorities have statutory obligations and that the councils have declined TfL’s offer to fund the cost of installing the signs.
A spokesperson for Surrey County Council previously said: “We have informed TfL that we will not enter into a Section 8 agreement which is needed for them to place signage and cameras on our highways, while there isn’t any mitigation in place to minimise the impact on Surrey residents.”
Buckinghamshire Council leader Martin Tett has also said in the past: “The council continues to strongly oppose the expansion of the Ulez. We still call on the Mayor of London to halt the proposal to expand the zone to all of Greater London until we can agree mitigations for the thousands of residents and businesses who will be seriously impacted.
“We must see mitigations for people from Buckinghamshire who have no option but to travel into London for work or to receive NHS healthcare.
“We also remain very concerned about the impact on our local roads and local air quality if motorists seek to avoid the ULEZ charge by driving round the edge of the zone.”
Khan’s plans have been met with stern opposition and a group known as the Blade Runners have sabotaged TfL’s equipment.
It comes as Khan's Tory rival Susan Hall branded the ULEZ expansion as a "dark day for drivers".
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The scheme has also run into legal problems after a landmark ruling said key signs for its sister scheme were not lawful.
In July, five Tory-led councils in Greater London challenged the unpopular scheme in the High Court, but judges sided with the Mayor.
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