I continue to hear from many of my constituents how the Mayor’s proposals to expand the ULEZ will impact them. I remain deeply concerned about this decision and the lack of consideration that has been given to the views of my constituents and local businesses. It is particularly troubling that the Mayor has seemingly neglected to conduct a thorough and robust assessment of the economic impact of the ULEZ expansion.
I am keen to see the Government conduct its own assessment on the impact on businesses, so that people and business owners can understand its affects. In this morning’s regular oral Parliamentary questions, I asked Ministers at the Treasury to conduct such an assessment and to step in to ensure that this is not only just a tax on the poorest residents.
In his response, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury repeated the answer given by the Prime Minister when asked a similar question just last week. At the time, the Prime Minister was quick to say that the Mayor should listen to all the voices of those affected whether they be commuters, families or the owners of small businesses.