Campaign group FairFuelUK has launched a crowd funding campaign to raise funds for a two-part legal challenge intended to stop air quality tax hikes on cars and introduce “effective action” instead.

FairFuelUK launches crowd funding legal campaign to stop ‘toxic taxes’ on cars

Launched today (13 September) at 8am, the crowd funding action – administered by Crowd Justice – will see the proceeds used in part to “convince the Mayor of London to reverse the implementation of his cash grabbing unwarranted ‘T-Charge’ on drivers”.

Launching on 23 October, the T-Charge will apply to pre-Euro 4 vehicles and will levy at £10 charge to enter Central London. However, according to FairFuelUK, Sadiq Khan’s decision to the charge was “unlawful and unfair”. In response, the campaign group has appointed law firm Howe & Co to call for a judicial review and said it recognised that the 90-day deadline to initiate this process has passed but that barristers had advised there are strong arguments in favour of the Court taking an exceptional course and agreeing to extend time in this case.

The other part of the crowd funding will be used to call on the Prime Minister and Defra to set up an Independent Public Inquiry to fairly investigate other more effective ways to improve Air Quality in all our UK Cities instead of tax hikes.

FairFuel said the aim of the inquiry would be “to legally set in place the best methods to improve air quality, instead of resorting to political opportunistic tax hikes on hard working drivers”.

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London responded to FairFuel’s comments on the T-Charge, saying: “Through the Mayor’s consultation, we know that Londoners overwhelming concern is about the impact of toxic air on their health and on their children’s lungs, but diesel drivers do deserve help to make this transition. That is why the Mayor is pushing the government to introduce a targeted diesel scrappage fund – they must act now.”

It also noted that the three-month window for a judicial review after the T-Charge decision expired on 17 May and said that the campaign group had not responded to any of the Mayor’s consultations on the T-Charge.