It's time to update the ULEZ to Ukraine petition! The London authorities yesterday announced that the ULEZ scrappage scheme that since March 15 has been also supplying vehicles to Ukraine, following the great campaign that you all supported through this petition, will now be wound down, the last applications taken until midnight on September 7.
What have we achieved to date? The TfL figures from August 16 stated 'more than 330 vehicles donated to Ukraine.' I have been talking to the scheme lead for British Ukrainian Aid, the official and only body running the scheme, and he says that actually 346 vehicles have been collected (as of 14th August), while there have been 470 'donor' applications overall. That represents a pipeline of 124 further vehicles still to be collected. A few of those will drop off. Equally, Transport for London have spoken to me this week and they anticipate an uptick now in last minute applications. This is all by way of saying I am confident that we'll get to 500+ vehicles for Ukraine.
I was going to say a load more but Jack Simpson of the Guardian has kindly done all my work for me, linked below.
It would be dishonest of me not to say that I wish the London Mayor had seen the light in early 2023 rather than early 2024. We could have then had several thousands of vehicles instead of hundreds. And in the hands of one lead partner rather than several, many more vehicles were lost as the scheme kicked off too slowly and haphazardly in March.
The lead picture for this update shows Marta Mylyan, a Ukrainian based in England, who with her partner Jurjen donated their Porsche Cayenne to Car for Ukraine (C4U). She is pictured outside the Ukrainian Embassy on July 25, when the new Ambassador to the UK, Ukraine's former armed forces chief General Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, made his first public speech before sending off a significant convoy of mostly ULEZ vehicles to Ukraine, flanked by reigning Ukrainian heavyweight boxing champ Oleksandr Usyk.
Car for Ukraine was the cradle of the original ULEZ to Ukraine idea and provided lots of support. I won't do a pile of shout-outs here, because I did that previously, but the original presentation to Kyiv happened expressly with the help of Patrick McIntyre and John McKenna, who remain indefatigable vehicle and aid movers into Ukraine. It was all a pipedream then but they went with it. As time passes and these things become memories, the generosity of individuals who were willing to take a wild punt on an unlikely idea glows brighter.
- This is not the end! Spread the word while the ULEZ scheme remains open. Applicants tick the Ukraine box and still receive the full subsidy pay-out for their vehicle.
- Remember that numerous vehicle donations are taking place outside the scheme, all the time, including Marta's Porsche which was given as a gift, no paperwork, no subsidy, no scrappage pay-out. Some of these have resulted from publicity around the main scheme. Lots of people live just outside the ULEZ boundary but are still affected by it - some are giving their vehicles to Car for Ukraine or other groups, and there are many covering most parts of the UK.
- Until there is a just conclusion to the war caused by Russia, these activities will continue!
- Pick-up trucks are in Kursk, I just want to know whose! Any thoughts, be in touch. History is being written.