Car tax Clean Air Zone changes risk ‘transport poverty’ with driving ‘unaffordable’
Experts have stressed that Clean Air Zone schemes should be halted with a raft of negative consequences affecting road users across the country.
Car tax changes to expand Clean Air Zones across the UK risk creating “areas of transport poverty”, according to experts.
Leading dash cam provider Nextbase has warned the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) expansion made “driving unaffordable” for many with older vehicles.
Head of road safety Bryn Brooker doesn’t want to see the same mistakes repeated across the country which could leave many “trapped in a cycle of poverty”.
Nextbase adds that the schemes come with “potential harm” and has called for the end of new projects for the time being.
It comes less than a year after London’s ULEZ expansion saw charges rolled out to many Outer London boroughs.
Bryn said: “The extension of the ULEZ to Greater London has made driving unaffordable for those who can only afford older cars, and are often ill-served by public transport.
“Any extension of clean air or congestion zones in other cities which have even poorer public transport systems risks creating massive areas of ‘transport poverty’ - where the poor are trapped in a cycle of poverty as they can’t get themselves to areas with jobs.
“Any new Government should take a breather and have a look at the potential harm that these schemes create. That time can be used to study the impact of the ULEZ expansion in detail.”
Alongside London’s £12.50 per day ULEZ fee, eight further cities in the UK currently have some form of Clean Air Zone project in place.
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Portsmouth has a Class B zone in place with Buses, coaches, taxis, private hire vehicles, heavy goods vehicles all affected.
Bath, Bradford, Sheffield, Newcastle and Gateshead have Class C charges where minibuses are also impacted.
Birmingham’s Class D charge means car owners are hot with some motorists forced to pay £8 per day to enter the zone.
The pledge forms part of Nextbase’s motoring manifesto released ahead of July’s General Election.
The group has also called for a boost to national police funding to recover more stolen vehicles and improve the Pass Plus scheme for learner drivers.
They have also called on the incoming Prime Minister to boost funding for road repairs and end the rollout of smart motorway schemes.
Bryn added: “Without concerted action by whoever wins the election, driving will soon become a luxury available only to the rich few.”
