London will be donating cars to Ukraine instead of disposing of them, as reported by the Office of Mayor Sadiq Khan.
These are vehicles that do not meet the environmental requirements of the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone). Londoners will have the opportunity to donate their cars for humanitarian and medical needs in Ukraine and, in return, receive a grant. The program will commence on March 15.
Last month the Mayor asked Transport for London (TfL) to explore how the scheme could be used to encourage vehicle donations, and TfL have confirmed UK registered charity British-Ukrainian Aid (BUA) as an appropriate intermediary to roll out the new scheme.
The London Ambulance Service (LAS) is planning to join the effort by donating 50 decommissioned ambulances to Ukraine. While LAS currently has agreements in place with TfL meaning ambulances are not charged to drive in the ULEZ, it plans to steadily decommission non-compliant vehicles.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “As the devastating consequences of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine continue, the country’s infrastructure has been significantly impacted. I have worked quickly to amend our scrappage scheme so that from next week, non-compliant vehicles can be donated to Ukraine, helping to meet medical and humanitarian needs while also removing old, polluting vehicles from London’s roads. There is still plenty of money left in the scrappage fund and I encourage anyone applying to consider donating their vehicle to this cause.”
Mayor is committed to supporting those still driving non-compliant vehicles through his £210m scrappage scheme – the largest of its kind.
ULEZ, or Ultra Low Emission Zone, is an area in London where vehicles that do not meet environmental standards are subject to a charge based on emission standards.