The announcement from the Mayor of London’s office unequivocally states that vehicles eligible for scrappage under the Ulez scheme are not permitted to be sent to Ukraine, despite the suggestion put forward by Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko. The proposal to export scrapped vehicles to Ukraine as part of the scrappage scheme was raised in a letter sent by Mr. Klitschko to Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London. However, the response from Sadiq Khan’s office stated that it is not legally possible to modify the scheme to allow vehicle exports.
The Ulez scrappage scheme, which was implemented in August, offers Londoners with vehicles that do not meet emission standards the opportunity to claim up to £2,000 when their non-compliant vehicles are scrapped. The proposal from Kyiv’s mayor suggested that some of the vehicles being scrapped, particularly 4x4s, could be of great assistance to Ukraine in various life-saving and transport roles during its conflict with Russia.
A spokesperson for Mr. Khan confirmed the receipt of the letter from Mr. Klitschko, stating that it is not feasible to alter the Ulez scheme for the purpose of exporting vehicles to Ukraine within the current limits of the Greater London Authority Act. The spokesperson explained that exporting the vehicles to Ukraine would not meet the legal threshold of the benefit to Londoners from an economic, social, or environmental perspective as outlined in the act.
In response to the situation, Sadiq Khan has set up a website that allows Londoners with suitable non-compliant vehicles to donate their cars directly to Ukraine. However, owners of vehicles donated directly through a charity will not be entitled to claim £2,000 from the Ulez scrappage scheme.
The Tory mayoral candidate, Susan Hall, expressed her disagreement with the response from Sadiq Khan’s office, describing it as “absurd”. She emphasized that Londoners who opt to scrap their cars should have the freedom to decide whether they want their vehicles to be sent to support Ukraine.
In conclusion, the Ulez scrappage scheme remains unchanged, and the decision to not allow scrapped cars to be sent to Ukraine has received mixed reactions. While the proposal to assist Ukraine through vehicle exports has been ruled out, the option to donate non-compliant vehicles directly to Ukraine is now available to Londoners. The debate around the implications of the Ulez scheme and its limitations continues to evolve, with various stakeholders expressing contrasting opinions on the matter.
