Vehicles donated as part of the Urez project will be permanently transferred to the Ukrainian authorities
- author, Noah Vickers
- role, Local democracy reporter
Sadiq Khan announced that a large number of vehicles will be sent to Ukraine for scrapping as part of London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ules) scheme.
Transport for London (TfL) plans to change regulations to allow non-conforming vehicles to be donated to war-torn countries.
It comes after Transport Secretary Mark Harper told the Mayor of London that there were no “legal barriers” to donating cars to Ukraine through the scheme.
The vehicles to be sent include 50 decommissioned ambulances from the London Ambulance Service.
image source, Getty Images
Sadiq Khan said the measures would “help meet medical and humanitarian needs, while also helping to remove old, polluting vehicles from London’s roads”.
Under the Urez scrappage scheme, Londoners can receive money in exchange for scrapping non-Urez vehicles or, in some cases, submitting them for modification.
Mr Khan asked Mr Harper in December to allow four-wheel drives and other suitable vehicles to be scrapped to Ukraine, with owners continuing to receive payment. Ta.
He said the schemes, which could start within weeks, would “meet medical and humanitarian needs and also help remove old polluting vehicles from London’s roads”. .
In exchange for donating a non-Ulez compliant vehicle, applicants will receive the same payments as grants available to drivers who scrap or modify their vehicles.
The donated vehicles will be permanently transferred to the Ukrainian authorities and their partners for humanitarian and medical needs.
The scheme is likely to be launched once formal approval is received and TfL updates its rules and processes.
“A once in a lifetime opportunity”
Under the scheme, the charity UK-Ukraine Aid will facilitate the donation of suitable vehicles to Ukraine, provide relevant documentation for people to receive scrapping grants, transport vehicles to Ukraine and provide We plan to report on the number of vehicles donated.
Eduardo Fesko, the UK’s Chargé d’Affaires to Ukraine, said the move was a “unique opportunity to give a life-saving vehicle a second life by donating it to Ukraine”.
“There has been nothing to stop Sadiq Khan from doing what he has done for over a year now,” said conservative mayoral candidate Susan Hall.
She added that most of the vehicles may have already been scrapped.
BBC News also asked the Greens and Liberal Democrats at City Hall for answers.