Is this the moment Sadiq Khan's future plans for pay-per-mile road charging in London were confirmed? Senior ally of Labour mayor tells election transport event new driving tax is only ruled out 'for now'

London politician Sadiq Khan is facing caller questions implicit whether helium is readying to present a pay-per-mile strategy for driving successful London contiguous aft a elder state admitted the thought was lone ruled retired 'for now'.

Hackney Labour councillor Mete Coban slipped retired the remark arsenic helium took portion successful a Future of London Transport hustings this afternoon.

Mr Khan is facing claims from the Tories that helium wants to bring successful a strategy that charges drivers by their usage of the capitals roads, connected apical of the arguable Ulez emissions tax.

He has ruled retired wanting to present caller fees for drivers depending connected roadworthy use, arsenic helium attempts to triumph re-election adjacent month.

But critics person drawn attraction to his authoritative transport strategy program which they accidental shows him 'legally committed' to looking into a pay-per-mile strategy - which could spot drivers of older cars charged more.

At the predetermination hustings this day Mr Coban was quizzed implicit the accuracy of Mr Khan's 2023 publication Breathe, successful which helium says 'we person plans to present a new, much comprehensive, roadworthy idiosyncratic charging system.'  

Conservative London Assembly subordinate Andrew Boff, asked Mr Coban: 'Either that publication is close oregon it is wrong. Is helium going to bring successful pay-per-mile? Because helium says truthful successful the publication and if helium says nary now, does that mean the remainder of the publication is incorrect arsenic well?'

Mr Coban, who is the Hackney Council enforcement subordinate for the situation and transport, replied: 'Firstly that is simply a idiosyncratic book, it is not the manifesto for London. 

'I deliberation the cardinal happening present is that – and I privation to beryllium precise wide astir this – is that Sadiq has ruled retired pay-per-mile for now.'

Mr Boff past asked if helium meant it was ruled retired 'for present until May?' arsenic Mr Coban tried to close himself  and accused the Tories of trying to stoke 'a civilization warfare debate'.

Mr Khan has said that the enlargement of the £12.50 regular Ulez complaint to each of greater London has allowed him to debar bringing successful pay-per-mile. 

But the mayor's legally-binding authoritative transport strategy, besides stipulates Transport for London would 'investigate proposals for the adjacent procreation of roadworthy idiosyncratic charging'.

The papers was archetypal published successful 2018 and updated 4 years aboriginal arsenic the politician expanded his arguable ULEZ strategy - but the 'per mile' thought remains successful place.

The strategy program states: 'The mayor, done TfL, volition analyse proposals for the adjacent procreation of road-user charging systems. 

'These could regenerate schemes specified arsenic the Congestion Charge, Low Emission Zone and Ultra Low Emission Zone.

'In doing so, the politician volition see the due exertion for immoderate aboriginal schemes, and the imaginable for a aboriginal strategy that reflects distance, time, emissions, roadworthy information and different factors successful an integrated way.'

The papers suggests 'an integrated 'per mile' complaint could regenerate pre-existing schemes' and contiguous Londoners with 'a single, unified strategy which takes into relationship some congestion and emissions objectives'.

A spokesperson for Mr Khan past week said: 'This is implicit nonsense from a Tory enactment hopeless to distract from their 14 years of failure, and is categorically untrue.

'Sadiq has definitively ruled retired pay-per-mile. Pay-per-mile was archetypal projected successful Boris Johnson's transport strategy erstwhile helium was mayor.'