London’s motorists are bracing themselves for a new set of charges for driving in the capital, which will charge drivers £12.50 per day for entering the ‘ultra-low emission zone’.

The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) is being introduced in central London from 2019, but Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed that the charges will be extended to cover most of the rest of London by October 2021.

The new charges will pocked Transport for London £1.5billion a year, a figure which is well in excess of the fees currently collected by the congestion charges. With many car owners set to be hit by the new list of charges, there are already petitions being set-up to prevent the changes coming into effect, with the RAC saying that the ULEZ enforcement will hit: “those from low income backgrounds, as well as those who work in roles such as hospitality and depend on using a car at night.”

Whilst some Conservative politicians have likened the ULEZ to a poll tax on the poor, Khan is keen to address the issue of air quality in one of the most polluted cities in Europe.

He said: “Tackling London's lethal air and safeguarding the health of Londoners requires bold action.

“Air pollution is a national health crisis and I refuse to stand back as thousands of Londoners breathe in air so filthy that it shortens our life expectancy, harms our lungs and worsens chronic illness.

“I promised hard-hitting measures to tackle our shameful air pollution and today City Hall is confirming the next stage of our plans to expand the ultra-low emission zone up to the North and South Circular roads.”

The worrying news for UK drivers is that the Government has issued powers to local authorities to introduce similar schemes in cities across Britain, with Manchester believed to be amongst those considering the charge.

Nigel Humphries of the Alliance of British Drivers has said that there is a likelihood that many drivers will wrongly believe their new cars will be exempt from the charges.

He said: “Many people think that as they don't drive in London, or that they drive newish 'eco' cars, this won't affect them. They are wrong.

“The UK Government have given powers to local authorities to introduce emissions-based charges pretty much at their whim and with no justification.

“Councils all over the UK are looking to copy Sadiq Khan's lead, Manchester being well advanced in its plan.

“Values of the many affected cars, and even some that are not currently affected, will fall due to fear of future charges long before they even happen.

“If the government wish to avoid 'Yellow Vest' style protests they need to act now, remove such powers from local authorities and ban all such schemes.”

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