Will Sadiq Khan’s car pollution tax drive classic event off the road?
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Will Sadiq Khan’s car tax take the classic event off the road? ULEZ expansion threatens annual London to Brighton Mini Run
- Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand the zone will add £25 to the cost of the event
- The Brighton Mini Run is attended by over 1,500 owners each May
This year’s annual London to Brighton Mini Run appears to be the last due to the capital’s ultra-low emission zone.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand the zone – where the most polluting cars will have to pay a toll – will add £25 to the cost of the event.
It draws more than 1,500 Mini owners in a colorful convoy every May along a 72-kilometer route from the capital to the south-coast city.
But now an organizer behind the 37-year-old event has written on Facebook: “Unfortunately, this will probably be the last Mini Run due to the extension of the ULEZ.”
London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand the zone – where the most polluting cars will have to pay a toll – will add £25 to the cost of the event
Sadiq Khan is pushing ahead with plans to expand the ULEZ despite strong opposition from Tory MPs. The August 29 border goes around all 33 London boroughs
From August 29, the zone will be expanded to cover the start in Cheam, with the worst-polluting cars paying £12.50 per day.
While there are exemptions for some classic cars, one organizer said about half of the run’s regulars would receive a two-day charge, as many motorists camp overnight.
He added: ‘We already have to sell tickets for £45 and not many people will be willing to pay £70 to attend.’
The event attracts more than 1,500 Mini owners in a colorful convoy along a 70-kilometer route each May
The mayor’s spokesman said: “The decision to expand the ULEZ was one of the hardest he’s had to make.”
Danny Davids, who restores Minis for a living, has participated in the annual event for over 30 years. The 38-year-old, who lives in Uckfield, accused Sadiq Khan of being ‘out of touch’ with everyday motorists.
Tory MP Gareth Bacon has opposed the extension of ULEZ, which will cover his Orpington constituency
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He added: ‘It’s devastating and incredibly disappointing because the event and the Mini are British institutions – just like red buses.’
Sutton Council has spoken out against the extension, arguing it will cut residents off from their families and jobs.
Tory MP Gareth Bacon has opposed the extension of ULEZ, which will cover his constituency of Orpington.
Bacon said, “It would be bitterly sad if Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ brought an end to this long-running event that brings Mini enthusiasts together.
“ULEZ expansion is not only a blatant money grab, but an attack on the suburbs of London, which the mayor neither understands nor cares about.”
Fellow Tory MP and former transport minister Karl McCartney said: ‘As a JCW Mini owner and a committed supporter of classic cars, I am appalled at Mr Khan’s plans to bring this run to an end.’
Last week, the mayor of London was accused of excluding more than 5,000 votes against the plan’s expansion before it was given the green light.
If these had been included, the level of opposition would have risen to 62.4 percent – almost two-thirds.