Andrew Dismore

At a meeting of the London Assembly Oversight Committee, the Minister for London Paul Scully MP was challenged on the government’s version of events relating to the punitive Government financial package provided to Transport for London (TfL).

Answering Conservative Assembly Member Keith Prince, who asked whether it was the Government who insisted that the Congestion Charge and Ultra-Low Emmission Zone (ULEZ) was reinstated with the charge raised and cutting free travel for freedom pass holders during peak times; or whether the government only asked that these be looked into, Mr Scully said that the Government had asked TfL to look at how to raise revenues again. Mr Scully added that the Government did not immediately ask the Mayor of London to increase the charge.

The Government have provided £1.65 billion in funding, of which £505 million is a loan, and the funding comes with heavy strings attached, including scrapping peak time free travel on freedom passes, reintroducing the ULEZ and Congestion charge at an increased rate of £15 and for longer hours and at weekends and a 1% above inflation fares rise.

Barnet and Camden Assembly Member, Andrew Dismore AM, sought to set the record straight, by reminding the Minister of the exact wording of the agreement, paragraph 11, which states:

“This funding package is conditional on an agreement from Transport for London that it will agree to conditions below.
h. The immediate reintroduction of the London Congestion Charge, LEZ and ULEZ and urgently bring forward proposals to widen the scope and level of these charges, in accordance with the relevant legal powers and decision making processes.”

After the exchange, Mr Dismore said:

“The Government are shamefully trying to put the blame for their own demands on to the Mayor. Well now we have seen the truth of the deal and the exact wording, which clearly puts the onus of these requests on the Government. One cannot trust a word this Government says as they continue their war on Londoners”.

ENDS

Notes

• Andrew Dismore AM is the London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden
• The text quoted can be found here: https://twitter.com/SadiqKhan/status/1263103644821450754