Why does the new ULEZ scheme prohibit companies who have received grant from previous scheme
Request ID: FOI-1717-2324 Date published: 13 September 2023
You asked
Please explain why new ULEZ scrappage scheme prohibits companies that have already a single grant from previous scheme form applying for up to 3 van in total
Please provide documents to back up this strategy
Why does TFl believe that this will maximise benefits of scheme?
Why does TFL believe that this is inclusive
Please explain rationale as it simply does not make any sense for small companies that operate in London
The rationale that a small company or micro business can spread the relative huge capital of new vans ie 2 or 3 vans over 3-4 years would make far more sense
We answered
TfL Ref: 1717-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 21 August 2023 asking for information about the new ULEZ scheme.
Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental Information Regulations and our information access policy. I can confirm that we hold the information you require. You asked for the following:
Please explain why the new ULEZ scrappage scheme prohibits companies that have already a single grant from previous scheme form applying for up to 3 van in total
The ULEZ scheme is highly targeted at getting the most polluting vehicles off our streets. The Mayor has funded a £160m scrappage scheme that is open to all London residents with an eligible non-compliant car or motorcycle, as well as to London registered businesses with fewer than 50 employees, sole traders and charities with eligible non-compliant vans or minibuses.
With limited resources, the scrappage scheme needs to be highly targeted at those who need it most, as well as distributing the funds to reach the greatest number of Londoners and businesses. This means that businesses and those Londoners on low-income or disability benefits that applied for the previous £61m scrappage scheme cannot apply to the equivalent scheme again.
The Mayor continues to call on Government to fund a targeted national scrappage scheme or provide additional funding to London as it has done for other cities implementing Clean Air Zones, including Birmingham, Bristol and Portsmouth.
Please provide documents to back up this strategy
Please refer to the following links to the Mayor of London and TfL websites for further documentation:
Why does TfL believe that this will maximise benefits of scheme? Why does TFL believe that this is inclusive
As previously mentioned, with limited resources, the scrappage scheme needs to be highly targeted at those who need it most as well as to distribute the funds that will help support the greatest number of Londoners and businesses.
Please explain rationale as it simply does not make any sense for small companies that operate in London Small businesses had an opportunity to scrap up to three vans during the Mayor’s previous £61m scrappage scheme. This supported the removal of 5,259 older, more polluting vans from London’s roads.
The rationale that a small company or micro business can spread the relative huge capital of new vans i.e. 2 or 3 vans over 3-4 years would make far more sense We can advise that when the Mayor first launched the £61m scrappage scheme for vans in February 2019 there were no plans to expand the ULEZ London-wide and, therefore, it was not envisaged that there would be a further scrappage scheme.
Scrappage in London has had to be funded by the Mayor as central Government has not supported the capital’s clean air scheme as it has for other UK cities. This means that the funds are limited and anyone interested in the scrappage scheme should apply as early as possible.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely
Jasmine Howard FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
