Pensioner says Ulez charge will leave him ‘unable to visit his parents’ graves’ 

A pensioner fears he will no longer be able to visit his parents’ graves when the £12.50 ULEZ charge is expanded.

Stuart Woodroffe, 69, from Coggeshall, near Colchester, Essex, drives an hour to the cemetery in Upminster, east London, every month.

But his Vauxhall Insignia isn’t compliant, meaning he faces having to fork out an extra £150 a year to make the trips.

The journey takes more than twice as long by public transport and involves a bus, two trains and the Overground – but Stuart’s mobility ‘isn’t what it used to be’.

He told MyLondon: ‘The journey would be far more difficult for me if I had to take the train and probably more expensive too.’

ULEZ has become a divisive topic for Londoners ahead of the rollout, and the pensioner has shared his upset at what it could mean for him.

Stuart is desperate to keep visiting his parents, especially after losing his younger sister in 2016.

He said: ‘I’m the last one left of the original family and it feels like a responsibility I want to upkeep. It just upsets me that this is happening.’

While there is a £2,000 scrappage scheme in place, this does not apply to those in the Home Counties who drive into London.

Stuart went on: ‘I don’t just have £35,000 lying around to make the switch [to an electric car].

‘But the people making these decisions aren’t earning normal people’s wages, they can place the extra costs on expenses whereas most of us can’t do that.

‘At this particular time, we’re all under intense pressure with the cost of things and this is just another thing to add to the heap.’

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A spokesperson for the Mayor of London told Metro.co.uk: ‘The Mayor has been clear that the decision to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone London-wide was not an easy one, but he has a duty to tackle toxic air pollution, which is causing people to develop life-changing illnesses, such as cancer, lung disease, dementia and asthma, and leading to children growing up with stunted lungs.

‘Around 4,000 Londoners die prematurely each year due to toxic air, with the greatest number of deaths attributable to air pollution in London’s outer boroughs. 

‘Air pollution shows no regard for boundary lines and extending the ULEZ London-wide will enable millions more people to breathe cleaner air.’

The statement went on: ‘The Mayor has listened to Londoners throughout this process, which is why he’s announced the biggest scrappage scheme yet – £110m – to help the Londoners who need it most, including charities, low income and disabled Londoners, small businesses and sole traders. 

‘The Mayor continues to call on central Government to provide additional funding to London and the surrounding areas for scrappage schemes, as they have done for other cities across England.

‘Any net revenue received from the ULEZ will be reinvested into running and improving London’s transport network, including to expand bus routes in outer London.’

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