Residents living along a road that acts as a fee-free passage through London's expanded Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) have reported receiving offers of "£100 a month" to allow individuals

to park on their driveways and evade the associated charges.

Motorists traveling on Moor Lane, which transforms into Bridge Road in Chessington, southwest London, are exempt from the ULEZ charge. However, any turnoff along the route immediately places them within the zone's boundaries.

For those accessing a train station, pub car park, or local businesses via the road, their vehicles must adhere to emissions standards, or they will be subjected to a £12.50 charge.

This setup mandates that motorists traveling along the route need to follow a loop around a roundabout to avoid the charge.

The town of Chessington, situated within the London borough of Kingston-upon-Thames, is included in the ULEZ expansion, effective from August 29. Although many neighboring areas remain unaffected by the charge, Chessington has emerged as a ULEZ peninsula of sorts.

Vispi Irani, a resident of Bridge Road, disclosed that a man had offered him and his neighbors £100 each month to use their driveways for parking, capitalizing on the charge-free route.

However, Irani deemed this offer as "ridiculous" and pointed out that he was considering changing his vehicle to avoid the charges. He recounted that a man had distributed notes in their neighborhood, proposing the parking arrangement.

A Chessington business owner, Tony Oak, shared that his establishment lies on the border of the expanded zone, placing his staff in a challenging position. Although his business is just around 100 meters outside the new ULEZ area, his employees must traverse the zone to reach work. Given the financial constraints, they cannot afford to upgrade their vehicles.

Oak explained, "My staff will have to pay £12.50 every day they come to work. That's about £4,000 a year. They feel they are effectively working an extra hour for nothing."

He added that one of his employees might seek employment elsewhere due to the added cost. Oak emphasized that their situation is inescapable, as the zone surrounds them.

Another local business owner expressed uncertainty about the zone's reach and its impact on deliveries and expenses.

The ULEZ expansion and its implications have triggered discussions and concerns among residents, highlighting the impact of such regulations on daily life and mobility choices. Photo by David Hawgood, Wikimedia commons.