ULEZ expansion could backfire if some boroughs stop TfL from installing cameras

The ULEZ expansion will tackle congestion and pollution, Transport for London has claimed. London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is due to expand dramatically into Essex this year, but some boroughs have threatened to oppose the plans, risking the whole expansion backfiring. The ULEZ expansion will tackle congestion and pollution, Transport for London (TfL) has claimed, but the disagreement between TfL and some Outer London boroughs could threaten the entire expansion. https://keepontrucking.uk/campaign-group-threaten-to-block-appalling-ulez-expansion-plans/ Although TfL is the city's public transport authority, it only owns around five per cent of London's road network. The majority of the capital's roads are owned by each of the 32 borough councils and the City of London, who have the ultimate say on what appears on each of them, reports MyLondon. In order for TfL's ULEZ expansion plans to work, it intends to put 2750 extra ANPR cameras around the expanded ULEZ boundary, but as so many of the roads the cameras are planned to go on are actually run by borough councils, it relies on the councils' permission and goodwill to install them. The Conservative-run Outer London boroughs of Bexley, Croydon, Harrow and Hillingdon formally issued a joint statement in November confirming their opposition to the plans. In the borough of Harrow, TfL owns zero roads. Harrow Council leader Cllr Paul Osborn said: "Mayor Khan has ignored London's residents and businesses and pushed ahead with his vanity project. This is the wrong solution at the wrong time. "There is no evidence that it will improve air quality but it will hit the poorest households most. This scheme will involve placing hundreds of cameras in Harrow and thousands across London, costing hundreds of millions of pounds. Harrow residents were overwhelmingly against this idea. We will join with other councils across London to make sure our residents' wishes are listened to and acted upon." This leaves TfL and City Hall a tough challenge of convincing the opposed boroughs to let them install the cameras anyway. This could also influence other councils, including those on the East London/Essex border, where many people will have to start paying increased charges this year. However, commissioner Andy Lord said any borough which refuses to let the cameras being installed, potentially Harrow for example, risks non-compliant vehicles rat-running through them to avoid the cameras elsewhere in the capital. This could then actually increase congestion and pollution in those boroughs, whilst decreasing in the boroughs who accepted. Mr Lord explained: "We're confident that we can hit that date [August 29] and we don't see any significant risk to that at the moment." Deputy mayor for transport Seb Dance agreed, but warned: "The discussions we're having at the moment are based on what we think boroughs are prepared to do at the moment, and what we might need to do in the event that boroughs don't want to cooperate. I mean there are powers that we have but we don't want to use them. Ultimately, it's better for everyone if boroughs cooperate with us, as the vast majority are." TfL's team is assessing the details of what legal powers can be specifically used under the Local Government Act and Greater London Authority Act. The cost of the implementation of the ULEZ expansion (communications and infrastructure) is expected to be £160million as TfL has budgeted for. TfL has also put aside money for 'bad debt' in the event that non-compliant vehicles don't pay the fine, even though the majority of offenders do pay. The ULEZ expansion, which does not generate long-term revenue for TfL as the more people who adhere to it, the less fines are issued, should stop generating money in 2027 according to TfL's budget estimations.

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