Surrey council backs decision against Ulez signs

A county council has stood by its decision not to allow Ultra Low Emission Zone (Ulez) signs and cameras, despite more than £15m in fines being issued to residents.

In 2023, Surrey County Council (SCC) opposed the expansion into the outer London suburbs and refused to install signage.

SCC's transport lead Matt Furniss said: "This situation remains unchanged as sadly none of the mitigation measures put forward to support Surrey residents have been put in place by the Mayor of London or Transport for London (TfL)."

TfL said people outside London were benefiting from cleaner air and that money from fines was being used to improve its public transport network, which stretched into Surrey.

A scrappage scheme to replace older, non-compliant cars was offered to London residents by Mayor Sadiq Khan, but this was not extended to people living in the home counties who commuted by car into the capital, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Furniss said: "We continue to urge the mayor and TfL to do what is right and extend the scrappage scheme outside of London for those that are impacted, provide exemption for key workers, and provide more and better bus routes between Surrey and London."

Tens of thousands of Surrey drivers have received penalty charge notices every year since the Ulez started in London in 2019, hitting a peak of 76,305 fines in 2024, TfL figures obtained through a freedom of information request have revealed.

According to the data, about 69% of appeals from Surrey residents since 2019 have been accepted, with the fines then cancelled.

TfL said it worked with bordering counties ahead of the Ulez expansion and relied on their cooperation to put up signs on the approach to the zone.

A spokesperson added: "There is extensive signage on the boundary itself and to raise awareness we launched a multi-channel campaign targeting Londoners and home counties drivers, including radio ads, ahead of the expansion and welcomed their views on our consultation."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, X, and Instagram and listen to BBC Radio Surrey on Sounds. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@bbc.co.uk or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.