Despite initial legal concerns over the plan, more than 200 vehicles that violated London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (Ulez) have been sent to Ukraine to support the war effort.
Transport for London (TfL) said on Friday that 330 vehicles had been given the go-ahead to be sent to Ukraine under the Ulez vehicle scrapping scheme, with more than 200 already having arrived in the eastern European country.
The vehicles will be used exclusively to support humanitarian and medical aid efforts in the country in response to a full-scale Russian invasion that could begin in early 2022.
The Ulez scrappage scheme, which launched in January 2023, offers grants to drivers who scrap vehicles that do not meet air quality zone emission standards to help them purchase Ulez-compliant vehicles.
Drivers of the most polluting cars will have to pay a £12.50-a-day charge under the Ulez scheme, which was extended to outer London last year despite backlash.
Drivers using the scheme would be given the option to pay to have their vehicles sent to Ukraine instead of being scrapped, after campaigners lobbied the government and London Mayor Sadiq Khan to back the idea in March.
The number of vehicles currently in Ukraine was revealed by TfL as it prepares to end the Ulez scrappage scheme on September 7. The organisation said 53,944 applications for the disposal of non-compliant vehicles had been approved, with drivers, businesses and charities receiving more than £186 million.
Almost £70 million was paid out to owners of more than 36,000 cars and motorbikes, while £116.5 million was paid out to owners of nearly 18,000 vans and minibuses.
The scrappage scheme offers payments to London drivers of up to £1,000 for motorbikes, £2,000 for cars and £7,000 for vans and minibuses, as well as payments to small businesses that use the scheme. Charities can receive up to £9,000 to scrap minibuses.
The idea of allowing TfL to donate vehicles to Ukraine was first proposed by Richard Lofthouse, a former academic who works in communications, after he bought a non-Ulez compliant Ford Ranger last year and drove it to Ukraine.
Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko then took over the case and wrote to Khan saying the vehicles to be scrapped, particularly some of the four-wheel drives, had “great potential” to help the country in “various life-saving and transport roles”.
But Mr Khan initially rejected the request, arguing on the advice of his lawyers that the plan did not meet the legal threshold for proving benefits to Londoners.
Khan’s decision drew criticism, with the Mayor and former Defence Secretary Ben Wallace later writing to the Government asking for permission to make the plans public.
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Then-Transport Minister Mark Harper responded in January, declaring there were no legal obstacles to the plan going ahead, and the first drivers were able to donate their vehicles by March.
Under the general scheme, owners must provide a decommissioning certificate to TfL to receive funding, and those wanting to donate must obtain a certificate from the charity British Ukraine Aid.
When the scrapping scheme ends next month, people who donate substandard vehicles to Ukraine will no longer be able to receive subsidies for their unwanted vehicles.
TfL said 96% of London’s vehicles now comply with ULez emissions standards, up from 90.9% in June 2023, two months before ULez was expanded.
Mr Khan said: “I’m proud that the UK’s largest car scrappage scheme has helped so many Londoners switch to cleaner, greener vehicles.”
“We are also pleased that following the huge success of the Ukraine programme, we will be providing additional funding to enable us to continue donating vehicles to the country after the scrappage programme ends.”
TfL did not say how much extra funding would be provided.
