Sadiq Khan‘s expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) means the scheme is now bringing in £715,000 a day – more than double the previous amount.
According to a report, an average of 57,200 drivers daily are paying £12.50 to enter the London zone.
This is up from 24,712 earlier this summer before ULEZ’s dramatic expansion, which came into force on August 29 and pushed the zone all the way to the boundaries of the M25.
It means the Labour Mayor’s scheme is now raking in £715,000 a day on average – or £22.1 million in the first month of its expansion.
Before, it was netting just over £300,000 daily on average, or around £9.5 million a month. The figures do not include money from fines for non-compliance.
Sadiq Khan’s expansion of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) means the scheme is now bringing in £715,000 a day – more than double the previous amount
On average 2,696 fines a day are being issued by the legion of cameras Mr Khan has deployed to enforce the scheme.
With most drivers paying a reduced £90 rate if paid within 14 days, it is raking in nearly £250,000 more a day from fines.
Only drivers of older, polluting vehicles, who tend to be poorer or vulnerable motorists, are charged the £12.50 fee.
The charge generally applies to petrol cars made before 2005 and diesel cars made before 2015.
Paul Scully, the minister for London, said: ‘Whilst the Mayor rakes in millions of pounds, it’s primarily the people in outer London who can least afford it who are paying.’
He added: ‘Enough is enough. The cameras need to be switched off.’ Mr Khan’s expansion of the zone sparked anger across outer London and those in the Home Counties who cross the border for work or leisure.
And despite concerns it would hit poorer, elderly and vulnerable drivers the hardest, he pressed ahead with it.
Transport for London, which Mr Khan chairs, said the proportion of vehicles that comply with the emissions zone has increased from 85 per cent in May 2022 to 95 per cent.
According to a report, an average of 57,200 drivers daily are paying £12.50 to enter the London zone
Mr Khan said: ‘I’ve always said that the decision to expand the ULEZ was very difficult, but a month on from the expansion we can already see that it is working.
‘This will make a huge difference to the lives and health of Londoners.’
A scheme providing up to £2,000 for Londoners to scrap a non-compliant vehicle remains open, but many say it is not enough.
