LOCALS have been left fuming after being forced to fork out tens of thousands of pounds to buy new cars to adhere to new council rules.
The town of West Drayton in West London will be included in the new Clean Air Zone in a matter of months – meaning they will be forced to pay a daily fee of £12.50 every time they drive if their car doesn’t meet the strict guidelines.
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The scheme, also known as Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ), is being extended in August to West Drayton in an attempt to improve air quality by reducing the number of vehicles in London that don’t meet emissions standards.
But locals are fuming over the rules as it means they have to buy new cars that will meet the guidelines that accord with ULEZ’s emission standards.
And just one resident has revealed he has to fork out nearly £20k to ensure both his vehicles are compliant.
Lukasz Bryl, who owns construction company GotBath, told MyLondon: “I am not happy.
“I had to buy a new van for my business which cost me 10 grand and I had to change my private car which was another 7.”
Lukasz says that if he hadn’t updated his vehicles under the new rules he could have been charged £37.50 a day just for him and his family to go about their daily lives.
He continued: “I can’t imagine how people can afford to pay £12.50 every day or they have to walk to the shops.”
Resident Beatrice, who owns a Romanian shop, revealed the catastrophic impact West Drayton’s inclusion in ULEZ will cause.
She said: “I speak to people and they are scared of the electricity going up, the bills going up.
“Even me, here, I pay a lot of bills, I have loads of fridges.
“Even at home, my bills are sky high and people’s salaries are the same.”
And local Sasha, who runs a pub in the town, has had to spend an eye-watering £10k to upgrade her car thanks to the ruling made by ULEZ.
She fumed: “I had to get a new car this year because mine wasn’t compliant with it.
“I know a lot of people are worried about it and I think a lot of people are going to have to get rid of their cars and there isn’t really anywhere to sell them.
“So it’s going to be more like throwing it and getting a new one.”
ULEZ (the Ultra Low Emission Zone) is an area of London where only environmentally efficient cars are allowed to enter.
The initiative expanded in October 2021 to take in all areas inside the North and South Circular roads, and will expand again in August 2023, covering most of Greater London.
What is ULEZ?
In the UK, areas with limitations on car emissions that are designed to promote cleaner air are referred to as a ULEZ or Ultra Low Emission Zones.
When driving in these areas, a vehicle could be subjected to a fee or tax depending on its emissions levels.
ULEZ initially covered the Congestion Charge zone in central London, from the eastern edge of Hyde Park out to around Aldgate.
On October 25, 2021, this changed and expanded to cover all parts of London within the North and South Circular roads.
And unlike the Congestion Charge, the ULEZ operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 364 days a year – excluding Christmas Day on December 25.
Older vehicles, including motorbikes, that don’t meet the tighter emissions standards have to pay £12.50 every day they are used within the ULEZ.
The charge runs from midnight to midnight which means you will be charged for two days if your journey started before midnight and travels into the next day.
Western points of the city affected by the move will include West Drayton.
The residential town, located in the borough of Hillingdon, is an attractive choice for Londoners.
The Elizabeth Line provides seamless access to Central London, with the town also boasting exceptional road links, with the M4 and M25 situated close by.
However, many residents hoping to save up for a property have been jeopardised following ULEZ’s expansion.
Average studio apartments typically range between £160,000 and £175,000 in West Drayton while a typical one-bed flat goes for £225,000 – £250,000.
Two-bed flats can be nabbed for between £300,000 – £375,000.
With the cost-of-living crisis continuing to rage – coupled with locals being slapped with this costly mandate – property buyers may have to wait a little longer to secure their homes.
Those with non-compliant motors face the huge expense of either paying £12.50 a day to simply start their car engines, or fork out up to £17k for a vehicle in line with ULEZ’s compliance.
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