Liberal Democrats in Ealing have encouraged a rethink on ULEZ scrappage scheme.

Liberal Democrats at full council meeting on 11 July pushed for a review of the timing of ULEZ expansion given the cost of living crisis and the difficulty being endured by many residents and families.

They also supported the call for the scrappage scheme to be increased as proposed by a coalition of Liberal Democrats and allies in the London Assembly. This was voted down in Feb 2023 by Labour.

Now the Mayor of London is subject to a Judicial Review and the ULEZ deadline of 29 August 2023 looms. Liberal Democrats are renewing calls to reconsider and strengthen the scrappage scheme (from £110m to £220m) through transferring balances from transport or environmental reserves which remain unallocated.

The Mayor of London admitted that at least £180m was required to meet the needs of Londoners through the scrappage scheme although he has only allocated £110m.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Jon Ball, Opposition Spokesperson on Planning, Licensing and Housing, said: "We believe that London's air quality is a serious issue and that extending ULEZ is the right policy but implemented in the wrong way and at the wrong time. Pushing lower income Londoners with older cars and vans to change their vehicles is not something the Mayor can sensibly do in the middle of a cost of living crisis."

Liberal Democrat Cllr Gary Malcolm, Leader of the Opposition, said: "We continue to stand up for Ealing residents and have asked the Mayor to look again at ways of widening the eligibility to enable more small businesses to fit the criteria and to provide further support for parents and carers as well as to review the grace period for drivers who have booked a retrofit for their van. Liberal Democrats are pressing to see if the Labour Mayor of London will listen to this growing opposition to the current unfair scrappage scheme."