Labour have accused Tory Mayoral candidate Boris Johnson of committing “a remarkable 360° u-turn on one of his key election pledges” to support the Low Emission Zone (LEZ) which comes into force next Monday.
The comments come after Mr Johnson was shown on ITV’s London Tonight discussing the penalty system for the zone. Johnson told the programme: “money is gong to be sluiced into the Mayor’s funds like the £55 million he takes in fines from the congestion charg,e making this the most punitive, the most draconian fining regime in the whole of Europe.”
Labour Assembly Member Murad Qureshi who is also the Labour Group’s environmental spokesman said, “This is typical of Boris Johnson. Last week he said he would repeal the ban on smoking in pubs and restaurants even though the Mayor has absolutely no power to do so, now he is dismissing the Low Emission Zone as nothing more than a draconian tax.”
Mr Qureshi accused Johnson of making “policy on the hoof” and said he was “not fit to run the capital.”
A spokesman for Mr Johnson told MayorWatch: “Boris is pro the LEZ but anti the way it has been brought in – he believes it has been poorly publicised.”
“Boris is very concerned generally about the fining regime in London for motorists and believes there are ways to reform how people pay fines for things such as the congestion charge and the LEZ. Boris will be bringing forward transport proposals in his forthcoming manifesto.”
