The High Court has found that the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to outlying London boroughs is legal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Five Conservative-controlled councils filed a legal challenge to the expansion in February.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The scheme will go into effect on August 29 and would tax users of the most polluting vehicles \u00a312.50 per day to use them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Those behind the idea think that it will encourage people to utilise cleaner transit choices, so improving the city’s air quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to TfL, only a small number of people will be affected, with nine out of ten vehicles meeting ULEZ rules.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The councils, however, contested the scheme’s expansion in court, claiming that the capital’s Labour mayor, Sadiq Khan, had exceeded his legal powers with such a huge expansion of the scheme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The five local authorities – Hillingdon, Bexley, Bromley, and Harrow in London, as well as Surrey County Council – also said the consultation on the plan was defective, with insufficient information supplied on the scrappage scheme, which pays those willing to sell their vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While other parts of the challenge were dismissed in April,\u00a0the councils were granted a hearing in the High Court<\/strong>, and the two sides fought it out over two days of evidence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ruling comes a week after the debate around ULEZ dominated a local by-election and the fallout from the results.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The High Court has found that the expansion of the ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ) to outlying London boroughs is legal. Five Conservative-controlled councils filed a legal challenge to the expansion … <\/p>\n