New 20mph rules in UK drivers are 'not on the side of drivers'

James Rodger

13 June 2024 at 7:26 am·2-min read

New 20mph and Ulez rules in the UK have been slammed as "not on the side of the motorists". 20mph roads are being rolled out through Wales with Ulez schemes in the likes of London and Clean Air Zones further afield.

Mark Harper, who has been at the Department for Transport since 2022, has urged drivers to not back Labour in the upcoming General Election. Mr Harper said on social media: “Labour taxed the poorest drivers with Ulez expansion and held Wales back with blanket 20mph zones.

“They aren't on the side of motorists. Their promises today don’t add up, distracting from their plan for pay per mile road taxes & hiking fuel duty like when they were last in power.” Speaking to GB News, Harper reassured the public that he will “back motorists” and not introduce more taxes.

He wrote: “As Transport Secretary, I authorised National Highways to go to court to prevent eco protestors sabotaging our road network. How about Keir Starmer’s choice for Transport Secretary? Labour are not on the side of drivers.”

Mr Harper also told GB News: “We're going to reverse the Ulez expansion so not changing the Ulez that exists in central London, but the expansion that the Mayor of London did. It was purely about raising money, his own impact assessment said it would have a minor to negligible effect on air quality. It wasn't about air quality, it was about taxing motorists, particularly the poorest ones, off the road.”

Launching the party’s manifesto today (Thursday, June 13), Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer promised to kickstart economic growth. The manifesto says that rebuilding Britain means modernising the country’s transport infrastructure.

“Our road network is plagued by long-promised projects that are never delivered,” it says. “The potholes cratering our roads are a visible sign of the decline after 14 years of Conservative rule.”

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