London Mayor aims to double vehicle scrappage scheme

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has announced plans to more than double his van scrappage fund, announced last year, to help low-income Londoners scrap older, more polluting vehicles in favour of lower-emitting ones.
 
The £25 million car scrappage fund will be launched later this year and comes on top of the Mayor’s existing plans for a £23 million fund to help small businesses scrap vans that do not comply with the new Ultra Low Emission Zone standards, but which are driven into the ULEZ central London zone regularly.
 
Taken together, they will provide £48 million worth of scrappage to help those who face serious financial pressure in upgrading to greener options.
 
The announcement comes as the Mayor, together with the cities network UK100, brings together city leaders from across the country for face-to face talks with Government ministers. Leaders will call on the Government to deliver a national vehicle upgrade fund and to do more to tackle the country’s air quality crisis.
 
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said: “Our country’s filthy air is a national disgrace that shortens lives, damages our lungs, and severely impacts our NHS. City leaders across the country are united in raising the alarm about the dangers posed by poor air quality. Here in London we have worked tirelessly to clean-up the bus and taxi fleet, encourage clean air innovation and establish the largest air quality monitoring network of any major world city.
 
“Now, with seven weeks weeks to go until the introduction of the 24-hour seven-day-a-week Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London, I’m announcing plans to help motorists on low incomes, as well as micro-businesses, to scrap their older, more polluting vehicles. However, Ministers must now show they can match my commitment. If we’re going to tackle the health crisis and social injustice caused by air pollution it is vital and only fair that a national vehicle scrappage scheme is funded and supported by the government.
 
“I know Michael Gove and Matt Hancock both share my commitment to clean up our filthy air and protect the health of future generations – but for this to happen they must recognise the scale of this issue, dip in their pockets and urgently match the ambition of our city leaders.”

The Mayor’s final Budget, including the new £25m fund, is due to be presented at a meeting of the London Assembly on 25 February.