TIN-EARED Sadiq Khan yesterday said white van drivers should be supporting his Ulez charge.
Labour’s London Mayor said it was in tradespeoples’ interests to scrap their non-compliant vehicles because of the health risks.
Labour’s Sadiq Khan said white van drivers should be supporting his Ulez chargeYui Mok / PA Wire
More drivers will soon be stung for the £12.50 daily charge as Ulez is expanded across the capital.
Many have backed The Sun’s Give Us A Brake campaign to stop politicians punishing motorists in pursuit of eco causes.
But Mr Khan told Fix Radio: “If you are driving a car that has to pay the Ulez charge, it means you’re driving a vehicle where you’re breathing in more poison than you should be.
“So you should want to be driving a cleaner vehicle.
“You should want to be driving a Ulez-compliant vehicle.
He said that compliant vehicles would make it less likely for drivers to get asthma, dementia, heart disease or cancer.
He added: “It’s in tradespeople’s interests to be having vehicles that are compliant because it means they take off less time from work by being unwell from air pollution.
“And by having more people walk, cycle and use public transport, it means less time stuck in traffic and leads to greater productivity.”
A recent report estimated that 30,000 non-compliant vans use the Ulez area each day.