Buckinghamshire politicians have spoken up against the plans to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone near to the county border.
If the plans by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to curb air pollution in the capital go ahead, drivers could face a daily charge of £12.50 when entering the ULEZ covering all London boroughs from August 29.
The plans are due to face a legal challenge after five outer London boroughs were given permission to challenge the expansion in High Court.
While there are no plans to bring ULEZ to Buckinghamshire, the new emission charge is likely to hit Bucks drivers if their vehicle doesn’t meet the ULEZ emission standards.
All Bucks MPs voiced concern about the ULEZ expansion.
Aylesbury’s Conservative MP Rob Butler called the daily charge on people working in the capital as an example of “Sadiq Khan’s war on car-drivers.”
“My constituents should not be forced to shell out more cash because the London Mayor and TfL can’t balance their books,” he added.
Chesham and Amersham MP Liberal Democrat Sarah Green had “significant concern” about how the timing of the “rushed expansion” will impact her constituents, many whom need to drive for caring and work duties daily.
READ MORE: Your chance to comment ULEZ expansion plan near Bucks
Although she said more needs to be done to tackle air pollution, the ULEZ expansion during a cost of living crisis was “reckless.”
She called for the government to fund the scrappage scheme in the South East to “support people like my constituents who live just outside of the ULEZ but will still be impacted by its expansion.”
Buckingham’s Conservative MP Greg Smith said: “Everyone can see what the Labour Mayor of London’s real game is, trying to financially fleece non-Londoners, such as Bucks residents, from coming into the Capital.
"This will hurt our economy too, with trades who rely on their vans from being priced out of doing business in London. Furthermore people wanting to pop into the West End for a meal or the theatre thinking twice. The Labour Mayor needs to stop this nonsense.”
Beaconsfield Conservative MP Joy Morrissey slammed the “disastrous ULEZ expansion”, saying it will hurt Londoners and Beaconsfield residents.
“Thousands of commuters - many of whom can least afford it - will be clobbered with this regressive tax on hard-working people across our constituency.
“Therefore I am pleased that Buckinghamshire Council is backing the legal challenge from some London boroughs to fight this - and I will do everything I can to support that effort.
Wycombe’s Conservative MP Steve Baker said on a video he posted on Twitter last month: “Wycombe is a wonderful place to live, but it can be an expensive place to live partly because of spill over effects from London.
"Now unfortunately the Mayor of London is ignoring the reality that many of my constituents need to drive to drive to work often before public transport is available, drive to work into areas which would be covered in the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in places like Heathrow.”
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