London car scrappage scheme to be extended

The mayor's office hopes the scheme will help motorists choose the least polluting vehicles

A scrappage scheme aiming to get more polluting cars off London's roads has been extended by the capital's mayor.

The new £25m scheme for low income and disabled Londoners will offer motorists up to £2,000 for scrapping an older, more polluting car or motorcycle.

City Hall already runs a £23m fund for micro businesses, sole traders and charities wanting to scrap older vans.

London has previously adopted a target of meeting World Health Organisation (WHO) air quality guidelines by 2030.

The extended scrappage scheme is targeted at Londoners on low incomes or with disabilities.

It comes ahead of the planned expansion of the mayor's Ultra Low Emission Zone up to the North and South Circular roads in 2021.

The mayor's scrappage scheme is being extended to more Londoners

Polluting vehicles account for about 50% of London's harmful air emissions, according to Sadiq Khan's office.

Every year, air pollution has an economic cost to the capital of up to £3.7bn and a £20bn cost to the country, it said.

Mr Khan is also calling on the government to amend its draft Environment Bill to adopt the WHO's pollution targets for 2030.

The first all-electric London black cab, which is expected to accelerate the retirement of current diesel taxis from city streets across the UK, has also been launched by the mayor.

Green Party London Assembly member Caroline Russell said the move was "great" news.

However, she added: "Too many Londoners feel forced into car use and ownership. The mayor must invest, throughout London, to make walking, cycling and public transport easy choices for everyone," she added.

The mayor's office said it was also increasing Santander's bike usage scheme to provide more free cycles for up to 30 minutes.