ULEZ scrappage grants for charities to rise from Monday for non-compliant minibuses
Melanie May | 18 August 2023 | News
With the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) expanding to cover the whole of London, Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced that he is also expanding the scrappage scheme with additional support available to charities.
The zone’s expansion kicks in on 29 August. Small businesses and charities with a non-compliant van have been eligible to receive increased payments of £7,000 (up from £5,000) since 4 August. From Monday (21 August) charities will be able to receive up to £27,000 in grants to scrap up to three minibuses.
In addition to the grants already in place, from Monday, every Londoner with a non ULEZ-compliant car or motorcycle will become eligible for a £2,000 grant (or £1,000 for a motorcycle), or a higher value package of up to two bus and tram passes plus a lower grant. Small businesses and sole traders will be able to apply to scrap up to three vehicles – up from one previously.
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The Mayor plans to use £50mn of City Hall’s reserves to fund these changes – taking the total put into the Mayor’s scrappage fund to £160mn. Grants are available on a first come, first served basis.
Christina Calderato, TfL’s Director of Strategy and Policy said:
“Nine out of ten cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant with ULEZ standards and will not have to pay the charge. The expansion of the scrappage scheme means that the remaining minority of Londoners who need to drive and don’t have a car that meets the standards now have access to financial support to make the green transition. The proposed £50m increase in funding, taking the total pot to £160m, will also mean more small businesses and sole traders can take advantage of scrappage and retrofit grant increases, as well as there being additional support available for registered charities.
“Alongside the scrappage scheme, a range of support offers are available for anyone making the transition to cleaner, greener transport, including savings on hire and subscription services for bikes, e-bikes, cargo bikes and e-scooters, and discounts on car clubs alongside many other deals.”
Tim Dexter, Clean Air lead at Asthma + Lung UK commented:
“We welcome the announcement from the Mayor of London on the growth in targeted support available for scrappage, ahead of the planned expansion of the ULEZ to outer London. The increased support will particularly help small businesses and charities transition to cleaner, greener modes of transport.
“The ULEZ is about reducing the number of polluting vehicles on the road and helping every Londoner breathe cleaner air, including the estimated 585,000 people living with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease living across London. Schemes like ULEZ are proven to reduce air pollution – a public health emergency contributing to 4000 early deaths in London every year.
“We know there have been concerns about the financial impact of these schemes, which is why we’ve been calling for the UK government to commit to a Cleaner Travel Access Fund to help people transition to cleaner transport. Adequate financial support is essential to ensure schemes like the ULEZ and other clean air zones around the UK are a success.”
ULEZ launched in 2019, and according to TfL data, nine out of 10 cars, and around 8 out of 10 vans seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant.
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.