Hertfordshire politicians slam council over refusal to allow ULEZ Signs in the county

Opposition politicians have slammed Hertfordshire County Council’s decision to ban ULEZ signs from going up around the county.

From today (29 August), the Ultra Low Emission Zone in London has been expanded to outer boroughs of London which border the Three Counties and other surrounding areas.

The Conservative-controlled council in Hertfordshire contacted the Mayor of London with its concerns about the schemes.

Last week the council went a step further by refusing to display signs on Hertfordshire roads warning residents they are heading towards zones where drivers using non-compliant cars would have to pay a charge.

Hertfordshire’s Liberal Democrats have criticised the call saying it will only increase the chances of Herts residents in older cars inadvertently entering ULEZ zones and subsequently having to pay a charge or a fine.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Steve Jarvis said: “Refusing to allow ULEZ signs in Hertfordshire is not going to stop the scheme going ahead. What it will do is make it more difficult for Herts residents who have non-compliant cars and vans to know exactly where the ULEZ starts and to avoid entering it if they don’t need to. The Conservative leader says he does not agree with the charge but his petty refusal to allow signs can only result in more Herts residents paying the charge – or being fined for failing to do so. That might suit his political purposes but it won’t help the people affected.”

Hertfordshire County Council Leader Richard Roberts announced the decision to remove all ULEZ warning signs in an open letter sent to the Mayor of London.

The Council Leader also suggest that Mayor Sadiq Khan should extend the scrappage scheme that allows London residents to access up to £2,000 to replace non-compliant cars to surrounding counties.

Also Councillor Roberts stated the council was considering its legal options in response to the scheme which has been criticised by other authorities near London.

Councillor Roberts said: “In Hertfordshire, many residents, families and businesses are telling us that they are dealing with the tightest squeeze on their finances in over a generation. The simple fact of the matter is that at this time many people with non-compliant vehicles, often the lowest paid in society cannot afford to upgrade their cars, are not eligible for the scrappage scheme and have no viable public transport alternatives.”

Councillor Roberts wanted the Mayor to pause his plans rather than pushing ahead with the scheme which will see people who enter the zones with older vehicles paying £12.50 per day. People who do not pay the daily charge could be fined up to £180.

Vehicles are measured against the required Euro standard and motorists can check whether their vehicles are compliant or not on the Transport for London website.

Euro standards are a range of emissions controls that set limits for air polluting Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) and Particulate Matter (PM) from engines. New vehicles and road vehicle engines must show that they meet these limits to be approved for sale.

Mayor Khan’s expansion of the ULEZ scheme was widely attributed to Labour losing the seat vacated by Boris Johnson in Uxbridge, which was retained by the Conservative Party.