Hundreds of Londoners gathered for a protest against the expansion of the so-called "Low Emission Zone", Euronews reports.
Previously, only central areas of the British capital were included, but now it encompasses nearly the entire metropolis.
Within this zone, owners of vehicles not meeting the latest emission standards will have to pay a daily tax. Protesters believe that this will primarily impact less affluent city dwellers who rely on their cars for caregiving and commuting and cannot afford to switch to a newer vehicle:
"Here are people who need to take care of elderly parents, children. They need to take children to school. They need to get to work. And this tax will hit them exactly. It's unfair."
"In Greater London, the air is quite clean. There is no reason to expand the zone beyond the city center."
Now, London will become the world's largest area where charges for air pollution will be imposed. Mayor Sadiq Khan is confident that Londoners will benefit from the system:
"Let's look at those Londoners who are sick due to air pollution. More than two-thirds live - guess where? - outside the center. They haven't received any benefits from the zone, but now they will."
Critics accuse the mayor of attempting to plug a budget hole: they claim that the tax revenues are lower than the losses for businesses.
Supporters of the mayor accuse the opposition of inflating the situation for political gains ahead of the elections scheduled for next year.
Comments (0)