Sadiq Khan accused of ‘plotting’ with Labour councils over pay-per-mile

The Mayor of London says scheme ‘will not be introduced in London’ – Mark Kerrison/Alamy

Sadiq Khan has been accused of “plotting” with Labour councils in London to introduce pay-per-mile after it emerged that nearly 10 town halls have voiced support for the road-user charging scheme.

With the London mayoral election on May 2, Mr Khan is locked in a bitter row with his Conservative opponent, Susan Hall, about whether he plans to introduce pay-per-mile.

The Labour mayor is adamant that he has “ruled out” the policy, but the Tories point to various City Hall documents which have floated the idea, as well as a book published by Mr Khan last year in which he mentioned “plans to introduce a new, more comprehensive, road-user charging system”.

Now, Ms Hall’s campaign has pointed to statements by nine London Labour councils voicing support for pay-per-mile or road user charging in recent years.

For example, last year Hackney Council announced that it would be pursuing low-traffic plans which would involve “developing options to support distance-based road user charging”.

The council said it wanted to “complete a feasibility study on trialling road-user charging”, although it admitted this was “currently unfunded”.

Susan Hall, Conservative candidate for London Mayor, is standing against pay-per-mile and Ulez expansion – ZUMAPRESS.com/Avalon

In 2019, Greenwich Council said it supported “Transport for London’s move towards charging the true social, environmental and economic cost of drivers’ trips – through its Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone”.

It said that “any further road pricing would need to be developed at a London-wide level, to reflect the areas people travel across”. “We encourage Transport for London to continue this work,” it added.

In 2019, Islington Council said it would “work with the Mayor of London and neighbouring boroughs to investigate the further expansion of road-user charging”, while Lambeth Council said it would be “proactive in trialling and testing emerging and new technologies in the transport sector” including “targeted road-user charging”.

In the same year, Lewisham Council said that a “possible mechanism available to the borough in the future may be a form of road-user charging”. It said that “any use of this type of charging would need to be balanced against the borough’s aspirations to reduce traffic at peak times and the needs of the borough’s residents and businesses”.

Newham Council said that while it had concerns about the “piecemeal introduction of road-user charging on a borough-by-borough basis, we are certainly supportive of a London-wide traffic restraint scheme of this sort, which would also generate much-needed funds for public transport and active travel investment for the capital”.

Redbridge Council highlighted “road-user charging” among “potential future sources of funding”, and Tower Hamlets Council pledged to “work with TfL and neighbouring boroughs to develop proposals for the next generation of road-user charging”.

Anti-Ulez protesters in Trafalgar Square on April 15, 2023 – Martin Pope/Getty Images

Barking and Dagenham Council has also previously said it “supports the Mayor and TfL in exploring the potential for rolling out distance-based road charging across London”.

Ms Hall said: “Sadiq Khan’s pay-per-mile plans would be a disaster for London, and it is outrageous that Labour councils have been plotting with him to bring it in.

“Every Londoner would have to pay Sadiq Khan for every single mile they drive in our city under his plans, which he has spent £21 million building the technology for already.

“The only way to stop Sadiq Khan’s pay-per-mile plans and scrap his Ulez expansion is to vote for me on May 2nd.”

A spokesman for Mr Khan said: “Sadiq has repeatedly and categorically ruled out pay-per-mile for as long as he is Mayor. It will not be introduced in London, despite a desperate campaign of lies and misinformation from the Tories.

“The road-user charging scheme was originally proposed by Boris Johnson as mayor and by Rishi Sunak as chancellor.

“Sadiq has informed the TfL Commissioner in writing that no such scheme will come in while he is mayor.”

Play The Telegraph’s brilliant range of Puzzles – and feel brighter every day. Train your brain and boost your mood with PlusWord, the Mini Crossword, the fearsome Killer Sudoku and even the classic Cryptic Crossword.