Londoners opposed to the ULEZ expansion have launched a guerilla war against the cameras used by the police to enforce the scheme.
The Transport for London (TFL) has set up several Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras. However, drivers in London are now hitting back by placing shopping bags and cardboard boxes onto the cameras.
The Government intends to install 2,750 ANPR cameras by the time the ULEZ expansion takes place on 29 August.
Several cameras have had boxes placed on top of them with one saying, ‘stop electing idiots’ printed on the side.
The ULEZ aims to reduce air pollution in London and to charge a £12.50 daily fee if you enter the zone in a car that does not meet the criteria.
However, it has recently been revealed that the Met Police and British Transport Police will be given access to the cameras to fight crime. This has come under scrutiny from several campaigners over the fear of removing people’s privacy.
Since becoming the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan has introduced several green schemes, including the ULEZ and Lower Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), which block traffic from moving through back roads along with several miles of cycle lanes.
Khan’s decision to expand the ULEZ has come under scrutiny from many critics who believe the expansion unfairly targets the poor.
This is only the latest attack on these cameras after four were previously photographed in Abbey Wood and Greenwich with their wires cut and lenses painted black.
More photographs of cameras with cut wires, spray-painted lenses or having been completely removed from their perch have begun to emerge. These have come from several areas, including Lewisham and Sutton.
The cameras have been installed rapidly; however, Bexley, Bromley, Harrow and Hillingdon haven’t installed them, as they intend to challenge the mayor in court over the proposal.
Along with the ongoing protests from residents, farmers have joined the protest against Sadiq Khan’s planned expansion.
In protest of the ULEZ, tractors paraded through Orpington while locals slammed the Mayor of London’s plan.
Orpington MP Gareth Bacon MP said he would ‘do everything in his power’ to prevent Khan’s Ulez charge from coming to Orpington.
He said: ‘Not only is the mayor taxing people who do not vote for him, but he will also end up making the poor poorer and punishing those on lower incomes who can least afford to buy a newer car to avoid the daily charge.’
London residents can apply for a grant of £2,000 to scrap their car if it doesn’t meet the ULEZ conditions to purchase a new car. However, doing this during the cost-of-living crisis makes it impossible for many drivers.
Hounslow council deputy leader Katherine Dunne wrote to the London mayor last summer, raising concerns that it could not make all its 400 vehicles ULEZ compliant by the August 2023 deadline.
Hounslow council is one of 16 outer London boroughs that support Sadiq Khan’s plan to expand the ULEZ, and they have already placed 37 ULEZ cameras installed on their streets.
Mr Khan has recently faced staunch criticism over branding some ULEZ opponents as ‘far-right’ and ‘Covid deniers’.
During a heated People’s Question Time in Ealing, west London, he said: ‘Let’s be frank, let’s call a spade a spade… some of those outside are part of the far-Right, some are Covid deniers, some are vaccine deniers, and some are Tories.’
Angered members of the public reportedly shouted back: ‘We are not far-Right – normal people are not far-Right.’
In response to the comments, Mr Khan said: ‘My point was that there were decent people, including Tory members, who’ve got legitimate objections, and I’m not sure these decent people realised that standing with them were conspiracy theorists and people holding swastikas.’
Khan has also spoken to the TFL about using the ULEZ cameras to charge drivers into a ‘pay-as-you-drive’ scheme, similar to the toll roads used in Singapore. He intends to do this to help improve the capital’s air quality.
He said the ‘nearest comparator’ for his road user charging plans was Singapore, which has ‘electronic road pricing’ which uses sensors attached to gantries over main roads to capture number plates.
These sensors track when drivers are using certain roads and charge them a toll based on these factors; for example, rush-hour traffic on a busy road is more expensive. However, Londoners can rejoice as this is not possible due to the infrastructure not being there.
In February and March, protestors have been taking to the streets of London, calling for the proposed Ultra Low Emission Zone ‘Khanage’ to be halted.
Hundreds of activists have campaigned in Trafalgar Square amid a backlash against the plans to see Londoners paying £12.50 per day for driving polluting cars.
