Barking and Dagenham's two MPs have expressed differing views on Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's decision to expand the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) across the capital.
The move, announced last week, means motorists across Barking and Dagenham whose vehicles do not comply with emissions standards will have to pay a £12.50 daily charge.
City Hall has said the expansion will tackle air pollution, the climate emergency and congestion.
READ MORE: ULEZ: What area does the Ultra Low Emission Zone cover?
Mr Khan felt the larger ULEZ will mean outer Londoners can "breathe cleaner air and live healthier lives".
But Labour MP for Dagenham and Rainham, Jon Cruddas, said he is "deeply disappointed" at Mr Khan's decision, which was taken despite 59 per cent of respondees to a consultation on the expansion saying it should not be implemented.
"I understand the pressing need to improve air quality and public health, but this scheme will be another unwelcome hit on working people in areas like Dagenham and Rainham.
"The Tories have crashed our economy leaving thousands of people struggling to put food on the table and heat their homes, and against this backdrop those same people will now struggle to get to work."
Mr Cruddas believes the move should have been delayed until the cost-of-living crisis was over.
"Dagenham and Rainham is home to many low-income workers who rely on their personal vehicles.
"The public transport infrastructure just isn’t there to support this policy. I will continue to challenge this in the strongest possible terms over the coming weeks and months."
But Barking MP Dame Margaret Hodge believes the ULEZ expansion is required.
She told the Post: “While every effort must be made to ensure working families are not unfairly penalised by this expansion, it is an unfortunate necessity.
"Pollution in London is sky rocketing. So any policy that protects our children, and our children’s children, and ensures they can grow up in a healthy and safe atmosphere must be a priority.”
The Mayor of London's office did not respond to a request for comment.
City Hall has pledged to improve bus routes in outer London, and the ULEZ expansion will also be accompanied by a new £110m scrappage scheme which it said will support those on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, charities, small businesses and sole traders.
READ MORE: What is the ULEZ and why is it expanding in 2023?
This will include the option for car owners who successfully use it to get up to two annual free bus passes.
Announcing the expansion last week, Mr Khan said: “The rising cost of living has been a key consideration for me.
"That’s why I’m announcing that we will be introducing our biggest scrappage scheme yet - £110m – to support Londoners on lower incomes, disabled Londoners, small businesses and charities to scrap or retrofit their non-compliant vehicles."
He admitted the ULEZ expansion was not an easy decision.
"The easy thing for me would have been to kick the can down the road. But in the end, public health comes before political expediency.
"As mayor, I’m not willing to turn a blind eye because it’s clear the cost of inaction – to our economy, to livelihoods, to the environment and the health of Londoners – would be a far too high a price to pay.
"Expanding ULEZ is the right choice for our city and something that I know will help us to continue building a better, greener, fairer and healthier London for everyone.”
The expansion is due to come into effect on August 29 next year.
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