Petrol and diesel drivers risk being forced off roads as Ulez scrappage scheme closes this week
Drivers can get up to £2,000 with the scrappage scheme grant
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The number of compliant Ulez vehicles available for Londoners to purchase has rapidly decreased with experts warning that drivers could be left stranded and forced off the road if they are unable to switch cars.
Drivers have been urged to take advantage of the Ulez scrappage scheme before it closes to new applicants this week, prompting guidance from experts.
The scheme was originally rolled out by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan in August last year and gave Londoners funding to scrap or retrofit their vehicles which fail to meet the mandatory emissions standards.
However, Transport for London announced in August that it would wind down the scrappage scheme, noting that 11.59pm on September 7 would be the deadline for new applications.
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Mayor Sadiq Khan launched the Ulez scrappage scheme in August 2023
PAThe £210million scrappage scheme gave successful applicants a one-off grant for their vehicle, allowing them to apply for a £2,000 grant for scrapping or donating a car or up to £1,000 for scrapping or donating a motorcycle.
Wheelchair accessible vehicle owners received larger sums with payments of £10,000 to scrap or donate, or £6,000 to retrofit to the Ulez standards.
Transport for London detailed: “To qualify for the wheelchair accessible grant payment, the vehicle you apply with must have been converted by mobility experts to allow a disabled person to access the vehicle as the driver or passenger.”
In total, the scheme saw the removal of more than 15,000 polluting vehicles from the capital's roads.
However, as the scheme gets ready to wind down, figures from Auto Trader revealed that drivers of non-compliant vehicles will be left stranded when it ends.
The site recorded that of the 39,294 used cars currently on sale across London which meet the Ulez standards, only 1,600 cost less than £2,000 - the amount offered in the grant.
This is an increase compared to last year, when just 885 vehicles were available, it still only represents four per cent of compliant cars based in London advertised on Auto Trader last month.
Across the Southeast of England, Auto Trader found that 2,284 compliant cars priced at £2,000 were available in July, which is just 2.4 per cent of the 95,000 that meet the requirements.
Ian Plummer, Commercial Director at Auto Trader, said: “As we look back on the first year of the Ulez extension, our data reveals that the share of non-compliant vehicles has decreased in both London and the Southeast region as retailers respond to lower consumer demand for these vehicles.
“Helpfully, the share of compliant cars for sale below £2,000, in line with the scrappage scheme requirements, has seen a small uptick.”
The data also recorded how 3.7 per cent (1,492) of the total 41,000 used cars advertised on Auto Trader based in London did not comply with Ulez rules.
However, the insights did note that there was a slight decrease in the six per cent share recorded at the same time last year.
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Drivers must live in a London borough to qualify for scrappage scheme
PATo apply for the Ulez scrappage scheme, drivers will need to live in one of the 32 London boroughs or the City of London.
Drivers can only apply with a vehicle that does not meet the current emissions standards and must have a car or motorbike registered with the DVLA.