I’ll have to pay £40,000 for a new vehicle to avoid Clean Air Zone charge – it’s a disgrace

A BUSINESS owner fears having to fork out £40,000 for a new vehicle to avoid the new Clean Air Zone charge.

Paul Moon, 57, a gardener from East London is faced with the choice of paying out for a new vehicle or passing the £12.50 cost onto his customers.

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Paul Moon, from Hornchurch, fears for his business with the expansion of the ULEZ zone[/caption]

TFL

ULEZ map showing the expansion area from August 29, 2023[/caption]

Paul took part in the protest against the ULEZ expansion in the area where he lives, in Hornchurch, Essex.

Speaking to EssexLive, he said: “If I pay the £12.50 a day unfortunately that is going to have to get passed on to all the other clients that we work for sadly.

“I have changed one [vehicle] recently it took me one year from the day I put the deposit down to bringing the vehicle into the country.

“If I do change the vehicle I am probably looking at 18 months for another vehicle to replace that one.

“All these trades are going to be putting their prices up or not working in this local area.”

Sharing his thoughts on the ULEZ expansion in East London, he said it is “more of a control” concept.

Adding that there are other areas that could benefit that the ULEZ expansion.

He said he feels there are other factors that could be addressed other than motor vehicles, ones he said that may have more of an impact.

He said: “I think ULEZ is more control.

“I think there are other factors that could be addressed that may have more of an impact than addressing these cars.

“These cars are going to pollute anyway, so I don’t think this is an air thing.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Mayor of London’s office said: “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.”

The spokesperson added that around 4,000 Londoners die because of a lack of clean air in London.

“Adding that in Havering around 178 people die prematurely every year due to air pollution.”

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Protests against the expansion recently took place outside Romford Town Hall[/caption]