Sadiq Khan has been accused of keeping families apart over Christmas as a result of his expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone.
Conservative Mayoral Candidate Susan Hall suggested Londoners have a choice between avoiding seeing relatives over Christmas or being slapped with a £12.50 charge.
Speaking at Mayor's questions yesterday, Hall said: "It’s quite clear all you wanted for Christmas is Ulez and so that goes in despite 60 per cent of people saying that they definitely did not want it.
“Do you think it’s fair that people are going to have to either not see relatives over Christmas or pay £12.50 to you in order to come and see them if they haven’t got a car that complies?”
Khan said that while expanding Ulez was a "difficult decision", he said: "It’s the right thing to do"
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Khan said that while expanding Ulez was a "difficult decision", he said: "It’s the right thing to do".
The London Mayor added: "Just like drinking clean water is a right, breathing clean air is a right."
Khan claimed that 19 out of 20 cars are now Ulez compliant which means they do not pay the charge, but still "benefit from cleaner air".
Mayor's Questions also saw Hall criticised Khan for his record on violent crime.
She accused him of overseeing an almost 50 per cent rise in knife crime, something she described as being "disgraceful".
But Khan insisted there had been a “significant” drop in the offences for those under 25.
The figure is down by 15 per cent.
The London Mayor added: “We will continue to make progress on this, not just by investing in police but by investing in services for young people.”
In an Op-Ed for GB News published last week, Hall accused Khan of being "asleep at the wheel" in his position as London Mayor.
She said: "Under Mayor Sadiq Khans' watch, our cabbies have not been treated right – they’ve been entangled in red tape, locked out of city hall, and left to navigate through the labyrinth of traffic gridlock.
"But it isn’t just these charges that are pounding this trade. Congestion on the streets is hardly helping, either.
"We all know traffic is hardly a new gripe in the city, but it just seems to be getting worse.
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"There was news last week that Transport for London bus drivers are considering strike action because of the gridlock caused by LTNs.
"Whilst it’s hitting everyone, cabbies are left to pay the price with fewer jobs coming in when the streets they navigate daily are choked with gridlock, often exacerbated by the very LTNs purportedly designed to bring this congestion down.
"I get it; drivers and passengers will be frustrated with a high-minded policy like this that doesn’t seem to work in practice. Cabbies are rightly wound up with the consequences of policies that were meant to enhance, not impede, the flow of traffic.
"Sadiq, however, just doesn’t seem to care. And I can’t say I’m shocked – he seems to be asleep at the wheel these days."
