11:43 am, September 27, 2023
Car Dealer Used Car Awards host Mike Brewer has slammed London’s recently expanded Ulez regulations and described the measures as a ‘tax on the poor’.
Since the expansion came into play last month, Car Dealer has spoken to several businessmen within the motor trade who are unhappy with how it is impacting the used car market.
Some dealers in the capital even told us that they were actively turning away non-compliant part-exchanges as they simply aren’t selling.
Brewer says he is in agreement with dealers expressing concerns and labelled Ulez as an ‘attack on motorists’.
The Wheeler Dealer said that the regulations were simply a way of ‘keeping the economy moving’ and likened it to opening a casino in London.
He told Car Dealer: ‘What I will say is that I am not a believer that it is for the greater good.
‘I do see it as attacks on motorists. I see it as an easy way to get us to to not only change our cars and keep the economy moving by slushing cars around in the system, it’s also a way to tax the poor people that can’t afford those better cars. And to get those people to pay more.
‘I think Ulez is the equivalent of putting a casino in London, because if you go into a casino, it’s just full of poor paid workers putting their money in the slot machine hoping to win it big one day.
‘That’s exactly how I see Ulez. It’s just a tax on the poor.’
Last month, Car Dealer spoke to Ashraf Kassam, owner of Kassam Car Sales in Uxbridge. He told us that the only chance dealers of selling non-compliant stock is taking it outside of London and that is a trend that Brewer has seen with his business, based in Sheffield.
He also says that dealers in London have had their used car stocks ‘exhausted’, leading customers to look further afield.
He added: ‘Because of Ulez and what it’s done for the centre of London, it’s meant that all the dealers on the fringes of London have had their used car stock exhausted.
‘If it’s a Ulez compliant car or van, it’s been exhausted and now Ulez customers are looking further afield.
‘I’m certainly feeling that all the way up in Sheffield. We’re feeling that that customers are coming out of London to try and get a used car stock elsewhere because all the dealers in London have been exhausted of stock.
Brewer also said: ‘I think as a car user and as car users we always feel that when the Government needs money they turn to the cars.
‘They turn to us car users and vehicle users because it’s an easy way to get tax as quickly as they possibly can.
‘Tax the car users. They need to use it for work, they’ve got no choice. Just tax them on it.’
Brewer was speaking ahead of hosting the Car Dealer Used Car Awards, sponsored by Black Horse at the Brewery, London, on November 27.
The deadline for nominations slams shut on October 2, meaning businesses now have less than a week to throw their hat in the ring.
Entry is free and is easy to do using our online form.
Brewer said: ‘To have a badge of honour that sits on their website or sits on their office wall that says that they are doing the best they possibly can do really does change their business. And it really does highlight that they are exceptional at what they do.’
