Don't scare the Horses!

[Jez]

No it's not, it's about money. If it was about air quality, they wouldn't say the same cars can come in but pay for it - you'd not be allowed to drive in. 

That's not really the case is it.
As you have to pay a fine for go within ULEZ with a non compliant car it reduces the number of such journeys.
It would be unfair to totally ban someone with a Non compliant car from traveling within ULEZ once a month say.
Its the daily users that the fines are there to dissuade. 
If there were no fine then there would be no incentive to get a compliant car.
My eldest son had to replace his car to be ULEZ compliant (Lived in Mitcham) he sold his car privately to someone who didn't need a ULEZ compliant car and bought the same make and Model but a little newer.
The difference in value of the two cars was around 6 Months worth of ULEZ fees so it worked out for him.

Cheers

Mike T

If you live or work in London, there is no choice and it'll disproportionally will hit the poorest the hardest. Taking the kids to school, going grocery shopping etc.

It would be fair to ban someone with a non-ulez compliant car, if air quality was the issue, but it's not, it's extorting people which is the issue.

Precisely! It's just more taxes on the poor. All such "sin taxes" boil my blood and I'd ban the lot. "Wealthy enough? then keep on polluting but pay us to do so" NO!! The planet deserves better.

I'd ban SUV's outright for a start. The pollution is bad enough along with the taking up 1.5 parking spaces, traffic congestion, and them obscuring visibility with their size for other road users but the worst thing is the selfish antisocial smug reasons people buy them for.