Motorists with older, environmentally friendly cars which are not aged enough to be deemed as classics are being forced from the road by the impending Ulez expansion, while gas guzzlers owned by millionaires are being welcomed to London.
Despite pumping out less than one third of the C02 than the most polluting new cars on sale, drivers of older cars face having to pay £12.50, while watching owners of the latest models by Rolls Royce, Ferrari and Mercedes continue their unimpeded access to the city.
Under the Ulez scheme, which has been described by critics as ‘Sadiq Khan’s vanity cash grabbing plan’, motorists driving petrol cars which do not at least meet the Euro IV standard face having to pay the controversial charge.
For diesel owners, they must have the latest Euro VI engines or hand over cash each day they cross into the soon-to-be expanded zone.
The panic caused by the decision – which affects more than 700,000 cars in Greater London – has seen the price of Ulez-friendly second-hand cars increase.
Cars which are more than 40 years old are exempted from the charge, though future classics face an uncertain future as the cost of using them in the capital is set to rocket.