The ULEZ fightback begins: Residents back ‘blade runner’ vandals destroying cameras as TfL website crashes on chaotic first day of Sadiq Khan’s hated £12.50 daily levy

The first day of Sadiq Khan‘s much-hated Ulez expansion got off to a troubled start as dozens of cameras designed to catch non-compliant vehicles were vandalised.

Protesters who are against the scheme have damaged and destroyed cameras across London by spraying them with paint, covering the lenses, cutting wires and even demolishing the poles they stand on.

In Bromley more than a dozen cameras were vandalised before the expansion came into effect at midnight, while residents living in Chessington welcomed the CCTV installed on their street being taken out of action by vigilantes.

At midday protesters against the move gathered outside Downing Street in central London to voice their discontent as the backlash continues to grow. 

It comes as the Mayor of London insisted her was not ‘anti-car’ for implementing the expansion, which means people will have to pay £12.50 a day to drive certain vehicles into the city. 

The move, which Mr Khan says will help battle pollution in the capital, will bring an extra £2.5million a day into City Hall and is set to raise billions in the coming years. Tories have branded the policy a ‘money-raising exercise’ with Transport Secretary Mark Harper saying he would have blocked it if he had the power.

The expansion it has been vociferously fought against by charities, Tory councils and residents in outer London, with the mayor even resisting pressure from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to delay it amid the cost of living crisis. 

These fears have been reflected in residents caught up in the expansion of the zone, with some saying they fear not being able to afford a new cars due to the cost.

Anti-Ulez demonstrators outside Downing Street today were seen carrying placards saying ‘Stop the Toxic Air Lie’ and ‘Ulez all about money’, while others carried mocked-up car registration plates reading: ‘Get Khan out’.

Dozens of activists lined the road leading to Downing Street in the centre of the capital, blowing whistles and banging drums.

Husband and wife Tom and Carolyn Dare were among the crowd outside Downing Street on Tuesday to protest against Ulez.

Ms Dare said she wanted Rishi Sunak to ‘overrule Sadiq Kahn’.

‘He has got the power. They can get rid of a Prime Minister, anytime they like,’ she said, adding she felt the Conservatives were using the issue to fight Labour and to help them win the next election ‘but they are hurting a lot of people’.

The pair said the new charge was a significant portion of their weekly pension.

Mr Dare said the mayor was ‘shutting down London basically’.

‘A lot of people come to theatres of a night, but it’s going to cost them more money to come to the theatre. Or if you want to pop out to meet family or relatives, it is going to cost you money, all the time’

‘At our age, we can’t afford to get a new loan to get a new car.’

Some protesters have taken matters into their own hands by vandalising the cameras – in Bromley in south east London, 14 were damaged in a mile-and-a-half stretch of the A224, with only two left untouched.

The controversial cameras have been spray painted, smashed or had the wires cut at junctions in Court road and Cray Avenue.

Elsewhere in the capital several cameras whose poles were cut down had cardboard boxes places next to them with ‘No to Ulez’ written on. 

Meanwhile in Chessington in south west London residents living in Headley Close woke up to find a camera at the entrance of their residential road that contains just 30 homes had been tagged with spray paint.

It means it will no longer be able to recognise number plates and potentially fine non-compliant cars that leave their driveways and go into the main road, which is in the Ulez.

One elderly homeowner welcomed the vandalism, telling MailOnline: ‘I applaud who has ever done this, and hope they continue to make the camera useless.

‘It doesn’t affect me as I don’t drive, but it could impact people who want to come a visit. Putting the camera here is all about grabbing money by Mayor Khan.

‘Most days it is so quiet here. No one really knows about the road unless you live here. The camera has been put here as we are the first street in the borough of Kingston when driving in from Surrey.’

A mother-of-two said, while she supported the ULEZ scheme, she was doubtful that the money would be used to tackle air quality.

‘You have to wonder if all the money raised will be used for what Khan says it will,’ she said.

‘I am in favour of the scheme in principle, but it is hitting the poorest.’

Many ULEZ signs around the Chessington area had been vandalised with white paint sprayed over wording.

In a bid to get around the rules some drivers were seen taping up their registration plates when heading into the Ulez this morning.

The Ulez hits petrol vehicles introduced earlier than 2005 that are not compliant with Euro 4 emissions regulations.

Meanwhile, diesel cars and vans are only exempt if their engine complies with more recent Euro 6 rules, which were introduced in September 2015.

This will snare popular vans registered before the cut-off date including Ford Transit Custom 310s.

Meanwhile, the RAC has criticised councils that refused to put up signage about the Ulez, saying they should ‘just give in’ so motorists can have advance warning.

Six out of the seven local authorities that border the Ulez have not reached an agreement with TfL to put up the signs.

Slough is the only council that has, while Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Thurrock, Kent and Surrey have all refused. 

Simon Williams, spokesperson for the RAC told BBC London: ‘I think the councils who are contesting or battling the mayor of London probably need to just give in and give drivers a little bit of advance warning.

‘I think people do need a good advance warning of the fact they’re entering the Ulez zone so it’s time that councils stopped resisting and actually go ahead and put up the signs so everyone approaching the zone from all directions has adequate warning’ 

It comes amid ongoing rows between the the councils and the Mayor over a lack of support for people living in the home counties.

People living in London have been offered the chance to exchange vehicles that fall foul of the regulations in a scrappage scheme, but the same choice has not been given to those who reside outside the capital.

Martin Gough, the leader of Kent Council, said: ‘We’re not prepared to facilitate a scheme against the interests of our residents and for which the mitigation others in London have been offered, have not been offered.’ 

Other authorities, including Surrey County Council and Buckinghamshire Council have also refused to sign agreements to have the signs installed until ‘mitigation’ is in place for their residents impacted by the scheme.

According to London’s deputy mayor for transport, Seb Dance, the decision by councils is ‘letting down residents’, adding that if drivers are fined due to the lack of warning signs, then the local authorities should bear the responsibility.

A spokesperson for the mayor previously said council’s might be made accountable if drivers are not ‘fully aware’ of the boundaries of the Ulez, adding that county highways authorities have statutory obligations and that TfL had offered to fund the cost of the installation of the signs. 

Sadiq Khan has steamed ahead with the expansion despite criticism over its impact on residents during the cost of living crisis, as well as allegedly ignoring an independent report commissioned by City Hall claiming the larger zone would have only a ‘negligible’ effect on reducing carbon emissions this year.

In a tweet this morning, the mayor took a triumphant tone, writing: ‘It’s here: in a move that will see 5million more Londoners breathe cleaner air, the Ulez has expanded to cover all of London today.’ 

Speaking on BBC Breakfast this morning, Mr Khan said: ‘We now have a really effective policy to reduce air pollution. 

‘It’s shown to be effective in central London and inner London, but I think clean air is a right not a privilege.

‘What about outer London? Why shouldn’t they breathe clean air? Why should they carry on dying prematurely in numbers that could be reversed?’

He added that TfL has received more than 15,000 applications for its Ulez scrappage scheme in the past week.

‘I was able to announce a policy where every single Londoner is now eligible to apply,’ he said.

‘I spoke to TfL this morning. They turn around these (applications) within a matter of days.

‘In the last week there have been – as we predicted – more than 15,000 applications. I think 14,000 vehicles have already been scrapped.

‘I’d encourage your viewers, check whether your vehicle is compliant. It probably is. If it’s not, apply for support.’

But Mr Khan ruled out a pay-per-mile scheme for motorists, telling Times Radio: ‘I am ruling out a pay-per-mile scheme whilst I am mayor, it’s not on the agenda, it’s not on the table. 

‘But it’s no secret that the Government, transport officials in London and around the country, have been looking at for some time, in relation to a smarter, streamlined service for a variety of reasons, not least because the Government are worried about fuel revenues drying up over the course of the next few years. 

‘In fact, Boris Johnson, when he was the mayor of London – remember him? – in his transport strategy there was talk about a pay-per-mile scheme. 

‘When Rishi Sunak was chancellor he asked his Treasury officials to look into this schemes. There’s no secrecy around this.’ 

He added: ‘The policy to clean the air in London is not anti-car or anti-motorist.

‘The good news is actually nine out of 10 cars seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant.

‘So there is no additional fee for you to pay, no restrictions on you, yet you benefit from the clean air.

‘But I accept there are a small number of cars that will be affected, they are non-compliant cars.

‘They themselves, the drivers, breath in pollutants, and that’s why I’ve announced that every single driver in London of a car or motorbike, every small business with a van, every charity with a minibus, will receive financial support (for scrapping non-compliant vehicles).’

Transport Secretary Mark Harper claimed this morning that if he had the power to do so, he would block the Ulez expansion.

He said: ‘I don’t have the power to stop it coming into force. That’s a decision for the Mayor of London backed by the Labour leader. I think he should think again.

‘He says this has to do with air quality, his own impact assessment says this will only have a minor to negligible effect on air pollution.

‘It’s not about air pollution, it’s about a money-raising exercise and this is absolutely not the time to be putting all those costs on hard-pressed and hard-working Londoners and those in the area outside London.’

Asked if he would stop the expansion if he had the power, Mr Harper said: ‘Yes, I don’t have the power, though.

‘We’ve looked at this really carefully. Despite what some people say, including on your channel, I don’t have the legal power to block it.

‘That’s a decision for the Mayor of London, and it’s not too late for him to think again.’

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak joined in by condemning the expansion of the scheme. 

Rishi Sunak hit out at Labour and London Mayor Sadiq Khan, as he said he was opposed to the expansion of Ulez in the capital.

The Prime Minister told broadcasters: ‘I think people and families are struggling with the cost of living, that is obvious to everyone. 

‘And at that time, the Labour Party, the Labour Mayor Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer are introducing the Ulez charge which is going to hit working families. 

‘I don’t think that’s the right priority, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do and I wish they hadn’t done it.’ 

Mr Sunak claimed that sole responsibility for the scheme lies with Mr Khan, amid questions about Boris Johnson’s role as mayor in the original development of Ulez. 

‘There is one party and one person responsible for what is happening and that is the Labour mayor and the Labour Party in London, supported by Keir Starmer,’ he said. 

Figures buried in the mayor’s budget for the year suggest the Ulez, when combined with the separate Low Emission Zone, and the central London Congestion Charge will generate £1.028billion for Transport for London.

The budget for the previous year was just £773.6million – an indication of the likely impact of extending the zone.

Susan Hall, the Tory candidate due to face Mr Khan in next year’s mayoral elections, described the expansion, which will see motorists with the highest-polluting cars shell out £12.50 or risk a £180 fine, as ‘nothing but a tax grab’.

Ms Hall said: ‘It will have a devastating impact on those who can least afford it. An overwhelming majority of Londoners, including senior figures in his own party, have told him to stop. It is a shame that Sadiq Khan would rather take millions from the poorest than admit he was wrong.’

She said she would scrap the expansion on her first day in office, if elected.

Mr Harper previously said: ‘Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand the Ulez, backed by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, is the latest salvo in Labour’s war on motorists.

‘The realities of Labour politicians in positions of power are ideological policies that hit hardworking motorists hard. It’s nothing more than a Labour mayor’s money grab.’

Steve Tuckwell, the new Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip whose west London seat is affected by the levy, said his recent by-election victory was proof of constituents rejecting the Ulez expansion.

He said: ‘Londoners sent mayor Sadiq Khan a clear message – halt your Ulez expansion.

‘My residents, and countless others across London, cannot go on being ignored by the Labour Party, who are making the political choice to expand Ulez, saddling families and businesses with up to £4,500 a year – a tax on carers, parents, patients, sole traders and all hard-working Londoners. I’m telling Sadiq Khan, scrap your Ulez expansion, or Londoners will show him the door next year.’

Mr Khan said last year that he thought the expansion could generate a net income of around £200million.

However, City Hall officials have admitted there will be no net revenue from the Ulez after 2027, with motorists switching to green vehicles, avoiding London, or giving up their cars completely.

Just one in four (25 per cent) of 1,175 UK adults said they supported the idea of a similar ultra low emission zone in their area.

The People Polling survey for GB News found more than half (54 per cent) were opposed. 

One-fifth said they did not know, or preferred not to say. Mr Khan introduced the Ulez in April 2019, and then increased it further to cover everywhere between the North and South Circular roads in 2021. 

Today’s expansion covers all of Greater London and an additional five million people.

Five Conservative-led councils on the outskirts of the scheme took the mayor to court in an effort to stop it.

But the High Court subsequently ruled the mayor’s legal basis for expansion was sound. 

The Government briefly looked into whether it could block the rollout, but discovered it did not have the power to do so. 

Civilians have taken matters into their own hands, by removing, covering up, or vandalising cameras used to enforce the Ulez.

TfL said nine out of ten cars and around eight in ten vans seen driving in outer London on an average day are already compliant. 

It said motorists who drive non-compliant vehicles across the expanded Ulez network may initially get a warning letter rather than a penalty notice.

It added that the Ulez is ‘not about making money, but about improving the health and wellbeing of millions of Londoners’. It said all money raised was ‘reinvested into walking, cycling and public transport’.