ULEZ: Prime minister urges London mayor to halt zone expansion plan

The mayor of London has said "we simply don’t have time to waste" in tacking carbon emission

The prime minister has urged Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to halt plans to expand London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) amid the cost of living crisis.

Boris Johnson said it would be a "tax" on families and businesses already feeling the "pressure" of rising costs.

Mr Khan wants the zone, which charges drivers of the most polluting cars £12.50 to enter, across most of London.

He has said he's "convinced it's justified" to tackle "toxic air" and "protect the health of Londoners".

Currently, the ULEZ covers the area inside the north and south circular roads in London.

A City Hall consultation has begun on expanding the zone to cover a much larger area from August 2023.

'Another tax on families'

Speaking to the LDRS on a visit to a school in Bromley on Monday, Mr Johnson said: "We can improve air quality together but I think another tax on families and businesses and white vans and the rest of it, is going to hit people just when we're trying to put more money into their pocket."

Former mayor of London Mr Johnson also made comparisons with his own time in office during the financial crisis: "I think it was in 2008/9, there was the question of implementing what was then the low emission zone, and I delayed it and made it less burdensome, precisely because that moment coincided with a huge pressure on the economy, on people's costs, on families and on small business."

The prime minister visited St Mary Cray Primary Academy on Monday

Announcing the plans in March, Mr Khan said the rising cost of living was a "key consideration".

"I'm not willing to ask people to pay more unless I'm absolutely convinced it's justified to save lives and protect the health of Londoners."

Follow BBC London on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail]