Shopping bags and cardboard boxes are popping up over Transport for London’s new ANPR cameras across the capital. It’s clear Londoners aren’t happy.
ANPR Cameras Targeted Ahead of ULEZ Rollout
TfL has installed over 300 Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras so far, with a whopping 2,750 expected by the official ULEZ expansion launch on August 29. But some Londoners are fighting back.
One cheeky vigilante covered a camera with a box, boldly scrawling “stop electing idiots” on the side. Others have gone further, slashing wires and painting lenses black – sparking a privacy row because these cameras are also used for crime-fighting.
Mayor Khan’s ULEZ Faces Mass Backlash
Sadiq Khan’s ULEZ isn’t the only green scheme stirring the pot. From Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) that restrict back road traffic to miles of new cycle lanes, the mayor’s environmental measures have critics fuming.
Social media is awash with support for the ANPR vandals as anger mounts over Khan’s plan to slap charges on a huge swathe of London, including boroughs like Greenwich, Hillingdon, and others where councils are readying legal battles.
Farmers and Locals Rally Against the ‘Ulez Tax’
Farmers rolled their tractors through Orpington streets yesterday, joining local residents in blasting the “extreme” clean-air push.
“Not only is the mayor taxing people who do not vote for him, but he’s punishing the poor and those on lower incomes who can’t afford to upgrade their cars,” said Gareth Bacon, MP for Orpington.
To ease the sting, Londoners with non-ULEZ-compliant vehicles can apply for grants up to £2,000 to scrap their cars. But many say it’s too little, too late – especially with inflation biting hard.
Hypocrisy Claims and Privacy Fears Loom
Controversy deepened last week when Hounslow Council backed the ULEZ expansion but simultaneously sought exemptions for its own 400 vehicles.
Meanwhile, concerns have grown as it emerged the mayor wants to track when, where, and how far drivers travel—fueling fears that a pay-by-the-mile charging system could be next.
