The Mayor of London has pledged his support to send 4x4s to Ukraine that would otherwise be scrapped under the city’s ULEZ scheme.
Sadiq Khan had previously blocked cars that were not ULEZ compliant from being sent to the country, saying he did not believe altering the environmental scheme for exports was possible under current laws.
But now, Mr Khan has asked Transport Secretary Mark Harper to allow Londoners – and others across the UK – to donate suitable vehicles to Ukraine through scrappage schemes.
Under the scheme’s plan, which came into force in August, Londoners with vehicles that fall foul of emission standards can claim up to £2,000 when their non-compliant vehicles are scrapped.
In a letter, jointly sent to Mr Harper by Mr Khan and former defence secretary Ben Wallace, ministers are urged to give motorists “money for taking polluting vehicles off our cities’ streets while providing vital support towards the people of Ukraine”.
“We understand there is a particular requirement for 4×4 vehicles, as well as emergency service vehicles,” it says.
Mr Khan and Mr Wallace said they had reached their conclusion following “conversations with the mayor’s office in Kyiv and other partners.”
It was previously reported by The Telegraph that Kyiv’s mayor, Vitali Klitschko, had written to his London counterpart to suggest the idea as part of the ULEZ scrappage scheme.
“This could be most quickly done by altering the national regulations for the Certificate of Destruction, which is required as proof that a vehicle has been permanently scrapped, to instead enable the export of suitable vehicles to Ukraine via a registered charity or national scheme,” the letter said.
“We recognise that any such change would need cross-departmental co-ordination within government, not least to ensure that any vehicles sent to Ukraine meet their needs.”
Mr Harper has since responded, saying Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove has written to the mayor “seeking clarity from you on precisely what legal barriers you believe you face”.
He added in the letter that once the further information has been provided, his officials will “of course be ready to support in identifying options to resolve this matter”.