‘If the ULEZ is introduced in Havering then my husband will have to give up his job and we will have to move-it’s that simple.’

Havering resident Linda talks about the awful impact the Ultra Low Emission Zone will have on Havering residents if introduced.

The Mayor of London Sadiq Khan is looking to expanding the Ultra Low Emission Zone to outer London boroughs such as Havering next year. At the Havering Daily, we have been asking our readers how this would impact their lives.

Today, we have spoken to Linda from Southend Road in South Hornchurch about the effect the ULEZ will have on her daily life.

“We will have to move if this is implemented here. That is the simple answer. Then I will not be able to see my grandchildren every week as I do now and my husband will not be able to carry on with his job, it just won’t be worth it.”

Linda and her husband are pensioners who are not able to retire as yet and as such the introduction of the ULEZ across Havering will have a devastating impact on their life and one the Mayor of London will not acknowledge.

“My husband is 74 and works collecting scrap vehicles. The introduction of this means he will have to pay to use his vehicle to get to the lorry and then pay to use his truck. It will also mean that he will have to buy a new truck which costs £70,000 and there is no way we can do that, the truck would out live him.

“We have both worked all our lives and this will destroy everything we have worked for. The Mayor does not live in the real world, he gets driven about in cars and this is just another money making scheme for him.

“We have already worked it out that the implementation of this scheme would cost us £225 extra just in charges, that is without the increase in our council tax bill, utility bills and petrol that is rocketing up everyday.

“Both the government and the Mayor are working us to the bone and don’t want us to claim our pensions that we have paid for all our lives. They don’t listen to the public and don’t care. They are privileged and get chauffeur driven, whilst the rest of us have to work.”

Linda is angry and feels let down by the way our society has become so uncaring. The introduction of the Ultra Low Emission Zone also means that not only will it have a detrimental impact on her financial situation but it will stop her from seeing her grandchildren every week as she currently does.

“If we move then I will not be able to see them as often as I do now. It will only be once a fortnight instead of three or four times a week. I don’t know how people are going to manage, people who need regular visits to the hospital, care workers and other such people.

“Why do we need the ULEZ here? We aren’t a major built up zone with huge traffic congestion, this is just another way to make money.If he wants to introduce a scheme like this here, then he should improve our public transport. We don’t have a nearby tube station or direct buses unless we want to go to Elm Park. Perhaps he should start looking at that first.”

The introduction of the ULEZ means many residents in Havering will struggle with impact it will have and saddest part is no one will even bother to listen to their concerns.