London Mayor Sadiq Khan defends stance on vehicle emissions area expansion

London Mayor Sadiq Khan defended the controversial expansion of city’s vehicle emissions area, known as ULEZ, the Sunday Times reported.

Khan said his stance on the Ultra Low Emission Zone will ulti-mately be recognized as having been on the “right side of history,” the newspaper reported, citing comments by the mayor at London’s City Hall. The zone, which currently covers about a quarter of the capital’s urban area, will expand as of Tuesday to cover all of greater London.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

The ULEZ expansion became a flashpoint in the by-election to re-place former Prime Minister Boris Johnson in Uxbridge, which Labour had hoped to win for the first time. Many voters in the district saw the election as a referendum on Khan’s plan, and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Conservatives narrowly held on.

The policy aims to cut pollution levels by charging drivers of vehicles that don’t meet minimum emissions standards within the zone £12.50 (almost $16) a day. Every Londoner with a car that isn’t compliant with the ULEZ rules will be eligible for a £2,000 grant to upgrade their vehicles.

Read more: Labour shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves drops support for UK wealth tax