Only about 100 small businesses have applied for financial help to scrap their vehicle and avoid Sadiq Khan’s new pollution levy, the Evening Standard can reveal.
The Mayor last month introduced a £23 million scrappage scheme, worth up to £6,000 per vehicle, ahead of central London’s ultra low emission zone launch on April 8.
City Hall hoped the initiative, aimed at “micro businesses” with up to 10 employees, would take 3,500 to 6,000 of the most polluting vans off the streets. But, as of last Friday, only 98 applications had been received by Transport for London.
The scheme offers £3,500 to scrap a van that has frequently entered the congestion charge zone, the same amount for London firms that do not enter central London regularly but want to switch to a newer less-polluting van, or £6,000 to switch to an electric vehicle.
Paul Castle, who runs Elegance & Candy caterers, spent £9,500 on a diesel Isuzu van last March. He wrote in a letter to TfL: “Am I really expected to accept a £3,500 donation to scrap a car that has cost almost three times that, in order to avoid a daily charge of £12.50?”
Alex Williams, Transport for London's Director of City Planning, said: “In just two weeks more than 100 people have already applied for the Mayor’s £23m scrappage scheme and we expect this to increase considerably.
"Over the next weeks and months we are contacting thousands of eligible businesses to promote the fund and we encourage everyone who might be eligible to check our website and apply online.
"Microbusinesses and charities have made it clear they would appreciate help scrapping older, more polluting vehicles as they prepare for the 24-hour seven-day-a-week Ultra Low Emission Zone and the scheme will help them do exactly that.”
