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Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ chaos means drivers should not have to pay fines racked up on the first day, says Transport Secretary Mark Harper after furious reaction to £12.50 levy saw …

Anonymous leader of anti-Ulez 'Blade Runners' says smashing cameras is 'unpaid voluntary work' as calls grow for drivers to get grace period before they are hit with fines for entering new £12.50-a-day zone

  • Blade runner 'Captain Gatso' has called the vandalism 'community service' 

By John James[1]

Updated: 14:18, 30 August 2023

A prominent figure in the anti-Ulez group 'Blade Runners, who have filmed themselves destroying and removing traffic cameras in response to Sadiq Khan's controversial zone expansion have described their vandalism as 'unpaid voluntary work.' 

Yesterday, the much-hated Ulez  was expanded to all 32 boroughs of London seeing people having to pay a £12.50 daily charge to drive the most polluting vehicles around the capital - leading to violent scuffles between police and protesters outside Downing Street. 

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has already urged the mayor to offer a Ulez[3] grace period and said that it is 'not reasonable' to enforce fines on drivers who violated the new rules yesterday as the Transport for London website where drivers could check if their car was compliant crashed. 

Speaking to TalkTV, the Blade Runners' campaign director, who refers to himself as 'Captain Gatso' defended the group's vandalism, saying: 'It's unpaid voluntary work for the community Julia, let's be under no illusions.

'When you are under constant attack from this Government and all the other governments previously you have to take defensive offensive action. They're not standing up for us.

Pictured: A Ulez camera remover poses with cameras they have taken down illegally Pictured: A Ulez camera remover poses with cameras they have taken down illegally

Pictured: A Ulez camera remover poses with cameras they have taken down illegally 

Khan's Ulez dream got off to a troubled start yesterday with violence in the streets Khan's Ulez dream got off to a troubled start yesterday with violence in the streets

Khan's Ulez dream got off to a troubled start yesterday with violence in the streets 

How the Ultra Low Emission Zone has expanded across London throughout the years How the Ultra Low Emission Zone has expanded across London throughout the years

How the Ultra Low Emission Zone has expanded across London throughout the years

Earlier this month, a Blade Runner was captured on video walking up to a ULEZ camera and snipping the cable Earlier this month, a Blade Runner was captured on video walking up to a ULEZ camera and snipping the cable

Earlier this month, a Blade Runner was captured on video walking up to a ULEZ camera and snipping the cable

The activist from the covert group then casually walked to another ULEZ camera nearby and used the gardening tool to snip the cable - the group's leader has called it 'voluntary comunity service' The activist from the covert group then casually walked to another ULEZ camera nearby and used the gardening tool to snip the cable - the group's leader has called it 'voluntary comunity service'

The activist from the covert group then casually walked to another ULEZ camera nearby and used the gardening tool to snip the cable - the group's leader has called it 'voluntary comunity service'

 'They're all liars. People are using their imagination, they're doing all sort of things to circumnavigate this thing. 

'It's high time motorists fought back.' 

In response to the campaign of destruction orchestrated by the Blade Runners and other groups, the Metropolitan Police stressed they were still actively hunting down vandals. 

A spokesman said: 'The Met has and continues to treat criminal activity in relation to Ulez seriously and has deployed considerable resources to our operation.

'Where there are possible lines of enquiry, local investigators will follow up using a range of investigative approaches including CCTV trawls, witness searches and an assessment of forensic opportunities.'

Yesterday saw turbulence outside Downing Street[4], where there was violence at an anti-Ulez protest[5] - with shocking scenes showing police scuffling with some of the protesters as tempers flared over the controversial expansion which is set to bring an extra £2.5 million a day to City Hall and raise billions in the coming years.

As a result of the Transport for London website's technical difficulties, drivers checking if their vehicles were compliant were forced to wait several minutes before they received clarity, causing 'confusion'. 

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has urged Sadiq Khan to offer a Ulez grace period Transport Secretary Mark Harper has urged Sadiq Khan to offer a Ulez grace period

Transport Secretary Mark Harper has urged Sadiq Khan to offer a Ulez grace period

Police officers restrain a protest outside Downing Street during a Ulez demonstration yesterday Police officers restrain a protest outside Downing Street during a Ulez demonstration yesterday

Police officers restrain a protest outside Downing Street during a Ulez demonstration yesterday

Demonstrators hold signs saying 'Stop the toxic air lie' and 'stop the Ulez' outside Downing Street Demonstrators hold signs saying 'Stop the toxic air lie' and 'stop the Ulez' outside Downing Street

Demonstrators hold signs saying 'Stop the toxic air lie' and 'stop the Ulez' outside Downing Street

Speaking to the Telegraph, Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: 'The Labour Mayor of London is responsible for administrating the rollout of his new charge on the poorest motorists.

'With the Transport for London [TfL] website crashing and causing confusion on the ground, it's not reasonable for Sadiq Khan to punish people by fining them for being caught up in that confusion, and he at least should be considering grace periods.'

In this instance, the 'grace period' would mean no fines were issued in Ulez zones on the first day of the expansion. 

Prior to the crash, the Transport for London (TfL) number plate checker website slowed to a crawl under the sheer number of people trying to see if their cars are non-compliant. 

Those wanting to check if they would have to pay the Ulez fee were put in an online 'waiting room' where they had to wait for their chance to get onto the website.

Khan's Ulez dream had got off to a troubled start before yesterday as dozens of cameras designed to catch non-compliant[6] vehicles were vandalised.

Protesters against the scheme have damaged[7] and destroyed cameras across London by spraying them with paint, covering the lenses, cutting wires and even demolishing the poles they stand on.

In Bromley more than a dozen cameras were vandalised[8] before the expansion came into effect at midnight, while residents living in Chessington welcomed the CCTV installed on their street being taken out of action by vigilantes.

The Metropolitan Police said it had recorded 288 crimes relating to the cameras as of August 1 The Metropolitan Police said it had recorded 288 crimes relating to the cameras as of August 1

The Metropolitan Police said it had recorded 288 crimes relating to the cameras as of August 1

Ulez camera electrics have been sprayed and destroyed in South London Ulez camera electrics have been sprayed and destroyed in South London

Ulez camera electrics have been sprayed and destroyed in South London

Nearly nine out of 10 Ulez cameras have been vandalised in southeast London , according to an analysis of crowd-sourced data Nearly nine out of 10 Ulez cameras have been vandalised in southeast London , according to an analysis of crowd-sourced data

Nearly nine out of 10 Ulez cameras have been vandalised in southeast London , according to an analysis of crowd-sourced data

The Mayor of London has insisted[9] he is not 'anti-car' for implementing the expansion, which means people will have to pay £12.50 a day to drive certain vehicles into the city.

These include diesel vehicles from 2014 or earlier, petrol vehicles from 2006 or earlier and motorcycles from 2001 or earlier, although vehicles from 1973 or earlier are exempt.

The move, which Mr Khan says will help battle pollution [10]in the capital, will bring an extra £2.5million a day into City Hall and is set to raise billions[11] in the coming years.

Tories have branded the policy a 'money-raising exercise' with Transport Secretary Mark Harper saying he would have blocked it if he had the power.

The expansion it has been vociferously fought against by charities, Tory councils and residents in outer London. [12]

The mayor has even resisted pressure[13] from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer[14] to delay it amid the cost of living crisis.  

Speaking earlier this month, Sir Keir stressed there are 'other ways' of cutting pollution as he was grilled about the controversial policy on a visit to Scotland.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer put pressure on Sadiq Khan to delay Ulez amid the cost of living crisis Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer put pressure on Sadiq Khan to delay Ulez amid the cost of living crisis

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer put pressure on Sadiq Khan to delay Ulez amid the cost of living crisis

Local resistance to the scheme has been fierce in some areas of London with signs installed beneath cameras to warn drivers Local resistance to the scheme has been fierce in some areas of London with signs installed beneath cameras to warn drivers

Local resistance to the scheme has been fierce in some areas of London with signs installed beneath cameras to warn drivers

The controversial scheme now covers all London boroughs and will force drivers of non-compliant vehicles to shell out £12.50 a day The controversial scheme now covers all London boroughs and will force drivers of non-compliant vehicles to shell out £12.50 a day

The controversial scheme now covers all London boroughs and will force drivers of non-compliant vehicles to shell out £12.50 a day

New Ulez signs have been put up on the M4 near Heathrow Airport to warn drivers they're about to enter the zone New Ulez signs have been put up on the M4 near Heathrow Airport to warn drivers they're about to enter the zone

New Ulez signs have been put up on the M4 near Heathrow Airport to warn drivers they're about to enter the zone

Commenting on the policy, Sir Keir said: 'Let me tell you what I want to change: I want clean air.

'I don't think anybody in this country should be breathing dirty air, any more than I think they should be drinking dirty water.

'What I don't want is schemes that disproportionately impact on people in the middle of the cost-of-living crisis, so we need to look at options for achieving what we all need to achieve, which is clean air.

'There are other ways of achieving this, so my driving principle is clean air, absolutely yes, but a proportionate way of getting there and looking at what the options are for other cities, other places doing it in different ways.'

The policy has also faced opposition from areas close to the capital with six out of the seven local authorities immediately bordering London[15] have refused to sign a legal agreement with Transport for London (TfL[16]) to allow Ulez[17] signs within their borders.

The act of protest has been mounted by Surrey County Council, Kent County Council, Essex County Council, Hertfordshire Council, Buckinghamshire Council and Thurrock Council, which are Tory-led and have been vocal about the financial impact Ulez will have on its residents.

The only council that signed an agreement was Slough Borough Council, which shares the smallest border with London and only has two signs installed, the Daily Telegraph reported. 

[2]

References

  1. ^ John James (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  2. ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  3. ^ Ulez (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  4. ^ Downing Street (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  5. ^ anti-Ulez protest (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  6. ^ non-compliant (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  7. ^ damaged (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  8. ^ vandalised (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  9. ^ insisted (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  10. ^ pollution (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  11. ^ billions (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  12. ^ Tory (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  13. ^ pressure (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  14. ^ Keir Starmer (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  15. ^ London (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  16. ^ TfL (www.dailymail.co.uk)
  17. ^ Ulez (www.dailymail.co.uk)

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