Mayor of London quizzed over installation of Ulez enforcement cameras, reports Ruby Gregory, Local Democracy Reporter

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan dodged questions today over what he would do about borough councils refusing to let Transport for London (TfL) install Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) cameras.

Nine local authorities – six Tory-run councils and three Lib Dem councils – have blasted TfL’s plans to install enforcement cameras in their boroughs, despite TfL claiming it doesn’t need permission from them to do so.

Asked on Tuesday (24th) what he would do about London boroughs refusing to install Ulez enforcement cameras, Khan said: “The Conservative councils, for party-political reasons, who are opposing these policies need to ask themselves the question; what is their response to those bereaved families in their boroughs who have lost their lives because of the poor quality in the air?

“The largest numbers of people with respiratory issues are in outer London. The largest number of deaths are in outer London. The councils that are opposing it are councils with the largest number of deaths.”

Speaking at an event in Newham, Khan also told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that clean air was “a human right”, and that black Londoners suffered the worst consequences of air pollution. But he didn’t reveal what he planned to do if councils blocked plans to install Ulez cameras.

Richmond upon Thames is the latest council to join Harrow, Hillingdon, Croydon, Sutton, Bromley, Bexley, Havering and Kingston in fighting the mayor’s Ulez expansion plans, which will come into force on 29th August this year.

Khan added: “Rather than these Conservatives being in the pocket of the fossil fuel companies, what they should be doing is being beside ordinary people.

“It’s the poorest Londoners who are least likely to own a car and who suffer the worse consequences. It’s also black Londoners that suffer the worst consequences and are least likely to own a car.

“I think clear air is a human right. Everyone should be entitled to breathe in clean air, not just those in central London and inner London and who have seen the benefits of Ulez, but also those in outer London.”

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