Sadiq Khan has prompted fury from those hoping to get cars destined for the scrapheap as they are not ULEZ compliant sent to Ukraine after he blocked plans.
Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko had written to the London mayor in September to ask for the vehicles to be sent to Ukraine as they would have “enormous potential” to be deployed in a “variety of life-saving and transport roles” in the war against Russia.
But this week Mr Khan wrote to Klitschko to tell him the move was not possible as his request did not meet the “legal threshold” which requires it would benefit Londoners from an “economic, social and environmental perspective” according to the Telegraph.
The cars are currently due to be scrapped after they were handed over in exchange for £2,000 as part of the ULEZ scrappage scheme. Londoners are able to use non-compliant vehicles, but at a cost of £12.50 per day.
Richard Lofthouse, who works at Cars for Ukraine, which has donated many off-roaders and trucks to the frontline said Mr Khan had showed “a lack of political courage”.
He said: “Presumably it’s no bad thing and no ‘disbenefit’ for Londoners to show solidarity with another free state fighting tyranny.
“Rather than only line the greedy pockets of private scrapyard merchants who are receiving thousands of perfectly good cars as the result of the scrappage scheme subsidy.”
Susan Hall, who will be Khan’s Conservative opponent in next year’s mayoral elections told the Telegraph it was “absurd” that Mr Khan had not sent the vehicles to Ukraine.
She said: “Sadiq Khan’s refusal to send scrapped Ulez cars to Ukraine, citing a legal quirk, is absurd. Londoners who choose to scrap their cars should have the freedom to decide for themselves if they want their car sent to support Ukraine.
“Standing with Ukraine against tyrants like Putin is not only a moral imperative but also in the best interest of all Londoners and the global community.”
Conservative MP for Dartford, Gareth Johnson, who exposed the scheme’s expansion earlier in the year, said he was “gobsmacked” by the move.
He added that “the vast majority of Londoners” want to see those vehicles sent to Ukraine to aid the war effort.
A spokesman for Mr Khan’s office said he was “utterly appalled” by Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine and said he stood in solidarity with those who had been affected by the war.
He said: “The mayor’s team have been in contact with their counterparts in Kyiv since the start of the war and the mayor remains determined to help in any way he can. Unfortunately, altering the Ulez scheme for the purpose of exporting vehicles to Ukraine is not possible within the current limits of the GLA (Greater London Authority) Act.
“However, Sadiq has asked his officials to work directly with mayor Klitschko’s team to see how we can help promote this initiative from Ukrainian charities and the GLA also continues to work with its functional bodies and will support them in any vehicle donations that they can make through national donation schemes.
“The GLA will also continue to monitor opportunities which may arise through such schemes.”
