London ULEZ scrappage scheme ‘overwhelmed’, leaving residents out of pocket

Transport for London apologises for the lengthy delays

London ULEZ scrappage scheme ‘overwhelmed’, leaving residents out of pocket
Photo: Bigstock

Transport for London (TfL) launched a new scrappage scheme to coincide with the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expanding across all London boroughs at the end of August.

The Mayor of London has funded a £160m scrappage scheme, which provides financial assistance to help eligible London residents scrap vehicles that don’t meet the ULEZ emissions standards.

Residents can apply for up to £2,000 for scrapping a car or up to £1,000 for scrapping a motorcycle.

Now, it has emerged that the scrappage system is ‘overwhelmed’, with some residents struggling to get hold of the Certificate of Destruction required for them to claim the grant.

In an interview with the BBC, Alex Anderson from Peckham said: “The scrap dealers have said they are so full at the moment, with all the cars that are coming in, that they don’t have the ability to scrap anything.

“In fact, my car hasn’t even been registered at the scrap dealership yet. It’s very frustrating. At the moment I have no car – it is in someone else’s possession. I have got no money for it. I have been promised phone calls from the company.

“The next step is seriously if I don’t hear from anyone I’ll have to call the police. 

“The car has been taken off me and no-one can give me an idea where the scrappage certificate is. It’s a bit shoddy at the moment.“

The BBC says it has heard from other residents who have been waiting six weeks for the documentation, while others have seen their applications rejected without reason.

In response, a spokesperson for TfL said: “We apologise if anyone’s scrappage application is taking too long, and we are working hard to ensure that everyone is responded to as quickly as possible. Ahead of the ULEZ scrappage scheme expanding to all Londoners with a non-compliant car or motorcycle, we increased our resource to deal with the volume of applications. 

“We are aiming to accept or decline scrappage applications within 10 working days. We have a robust process in place to verify the documents we receive as part of our measures to guard against fraud. 

“The application process can take longer if we need to undertake additional verification procedures, such as further checks to the required documents.“

Source: BBC

1 Comment

  1. It’s not any better when you have the certificate of destruction.
    I had a letter on the 1/9/23 saying all was well and cheque would be sent by mail, 7 weeks and numerous phone calls later, and still no cheque.
    TFL should be ashamed of their woeful behaviour. I am a sole trader and have no idea when I will receive the money needed to replace my van, consequently, I cannot work at present.

    Reply

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