- City Hall says road user charging is ‘fair scheme’ that could replace existing fees
- But motoring groups branded plan ‘outrageous’ and ‘absolutely unacceptable’
- Tories warned London could turn into a city where ‘only the rich are able to drive’
Sadiq Khan was today accused of a ‘money-making’ plot to force motorists to ‘pay per mile’ to drive in London.
The capital’s Labour mayor wants road pricing to force those who drive petrol or diesel cars to switch to public transport, walking, cycling or electric vehicles ‘where necessary’.
Mr Khan said he is ‘not willing to put off action’ to hit climate targets after research he commissioned found a 27 per cent reduction in London’s car traffic was required by 2030 to meet net-zero ambitions.
A report by City Hall said per-mile charges would be a ‘simple and fair scheme’ that could replace existing fees such as the Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone. No figure was started for how much the fee could be.
Hugh Bladon, from the Alliance of British Drivers, branded the proposal ‘outrageous’ and said the level of monitoring such a scheme would require was ‘absolutely unacceptable’.