No ULEZ – Looks like we got us a convoy…
No rubber duck, but a vintage fire engine and a few other interesting vehicles.
The latest effort of the No to ULEZ expansion protest was a convoy today from the M1 (the main motorway between London and the North) into Central London, driving round Piccadilly and Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall to Downing Street and onwards.
I couldn’t take part but my husband travelled to Trafalgar Square to join the group of demonstrators welcoming the convoy. These are some of his photographs from the short part of the journey he was there to observe.
As well as the multi-vehicle convoy travelling south on the M11 a vintage London big red bus and a vintage fire engine started from Marble Arch so they arrived first to a warm welcome.
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Reports from those on the convoy are that there were 60 or more vehicles. These are the lead ones that arrived in Trafalgar Square (via Piccadilly Circus) first.
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Then down Whitehall to Downing Street and beyond, spreading the word that the people of London are resisting expansion of ULEZ and the rest of the agenda that will follow; pay per mile, LTNs and 15 minute cities.
I’m trying to find out what happened after that as people get home. There was talk that ITV News (an independent television channel) would be at Trafalgar Square and covering the event. I have seen nothing so far.
Former Cabinet minister Theresa Villiers today launched a bid to hand the Government new powers to scrap London mayor Sadiq Khan‘s ‘anti-car policies’.
The Chipping Barnet MP introduced a Ten-Minute Rule Bill to the House of Commons this afternoon seeking to give ministers the ability to overturn the expansion of the capital’s Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).
The former Environment Secretary told the Commons: ‘In my 18 years as MP for Chipping Barnet, almost nothing has provoked such strong opposition as the Mayor of London’s plan to expand ULEZ. It comes up on almost every doorstep and at almost every meeting. People stop me in the street to tell me how strongly they feel about this. That is why I am bringing forward a Bill to give the Government power to overrule Mayor Khan and stop ULEZ expansion. Of course, we need to continue to improve air quality in London but this is the wrong scheme at the wrong time.’
Ms Villiers warned the ULEZ expansion – which she dubbed a ‘paywall’ around the capital – would ‘devastate’ local town centres in outer London. She also told MPs it could be a ‘stepping stone’ to pay per mile road charging in the capital.
Mr Khan’s spokeswoman said it was ‘disappointing that some backbench MPs are wasting parliamentary time playing politics’.
Trafalgar Square and the surrounding area was being prepared for the King’s Coronation on Saturday. It had been closed overnight for the procession rehearsal, during which a man was arrested for lobbing cartridges into the front parade ground of Buckingham Palace while shouting “I’m going to kill the King”. He was taken into custody and a controlled explosion dealt with his ordinance.