in London, the mayor wants to extend the tax for the most polluting vehicles

Elected mayor of London in May 2016, Sadiq Khan continues his fight against pollution linked to road traffic in the capital.The London air is deadly and I can’t sit idly by.” he already declared in 2017. However, this summer, on August 29, the City must extend the zone reserved for the least polluting vehicles, which is causing a lot of talk across the Channel.

“We must act, we cannot sit idly by, slips Catherine, a Londoner, met by franceinfo on the sidewalk of one of the main avenues of the capital. “We must limit traffic, and less polluting cars, now is the time to do it“, wants to believe this mother.

The measure goes badly with motorists

Currently, to drive in the center of the British capital, drivers of the most polluting vehicles must pay a daily tax of just under €15. Otherwise, they face a fine of nearly €190. The town hall wants to extend this obligation to the whole city, which is 15 times larger than Paris.

This measure does not pass for motorists, professionals, craftsmen, forced to take their car or their utility to work. On the political side, the Conservatives have filed an appeal in court to challenge the decision of the Labor mayor. Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak also opposes Sadiq Khan’s vision.

“It is disappointing that the mayor chooses not to listen to the overwhelming majority opinion of residents and businesses. I urge him to quickly join the side of hard-working Londoners.”

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

Sadiq Khan’s critics also point to very high public transport fares. But the one who has been running London for seven years does not budge and repeats that he wants “purify our air as soon as possible, it’s a right not a privilege“.

With this political choice, Sadiq Khan is playing big since the next municipal election is scheduled for May 2024.