According to a London firm, cameras used to police Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone are being vandalised at an increasing rate in two London boroughs in particular. The ULEZ will be extended to all 32 London boroughs on August 29. This implies that motorists travelling in the zone in vehicles that are not ULEZ compliant will have to pay a £12.50 tax.Despite its goal of improving air quality, the programme has attracted widespread opposition, with many concerned about the impact on workers. As the expansion nears, some drivers appear to be taking matters into their own hands, committing criminal vandalism.
Octane Finance has observed an increase in ULEZ-related criminality in outer London, particularly in the boroughs of Bromley and Sutton. The vehicle financing broker investigated how ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras are purposely tampered with and damaged. Some were discovered to have been completely gone.
Ian Francombe, sales director at Octane Finance, says he has witnessed it firsthand in his hometown of Farnborough, which is located on the outskirts of Orpington in Bromley, South East London.
On April 17, an ANPR camera was mounted on top of existing traffic lights along the A21, according to Mr Francombe. Yet, he claims it was gone about 24 hours later. The region is located in a London borough that strongly opposes the ULEZ development, with the council deciding to formally oppose Mr Khan’s plans.
“I’ve lived in the areas of Orpington and Sevenoaks [in Kent] all of my life; we don’t suffer from particularly heavy congestion here, and many of the locals rely on their cars as public transport isn’t great when you head out to Orpington’s rural borders,” Mr Francombe said.
“Additionally, for some of the residents with older cars, this will mean them potentially doing their weekly shopping in Sevenoaks rather than Orpington – the knock-on effect being many small businesses will suffer with a loss of trade as a result. Both Orpington and Dartford’s MPs are against the plans, however Mayor Khan seems hell-bent on raising funds for London by taxing the very people who are the most vulnerable and who are already facing a cost of living crisis.”
ULEZ cameras in Sutton have been vandalised in Wallington, West Sutton, and Cheam. Mr Francombe went on to mention the depreciation of non-ULEZ compliant vehicles. “They’re becoming unappealing in terms of resale,” he says. “And this isn’t about old bangers. Certain mainstream vehicles, such as the 2015 Volkswagen Passat 2.0 diesel, are not ULEZ compliant.”
ULEZ-compliant secondhand car values have skyrocketed, while non-compliant cars have lost a significant portion of their value in as little as two years.
Sadiq Khan has given a strong warning to anti-ULEZ demonstrators who use damaging ANPR equipment. Meanwhile, the Home Office has stated that damage of ULEZ cameras and TfL property is taken very seriously. Anyone caught in the act faces up to ten years in prison. “Vandalism on our network is unacceptable,” a TfL representative previously stated. All incidents are reported to the police and are being investigated.”
