Nick Ferrari Challenges Campaigner Who Insists Workers Can Swap Vans For Bikes

8 April 2019, 11:11

Nick Ferrari told an environmental campaigner that you can't put 3 ladders on a bike after she suggested tradespeople swap out their vans to avoid paying the new Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) charge.

On the day that London's new Ultra Low Emissions Zone comes into force, Nick Ferrari set three tradespeople on a challenge to get across the city without their vans, each carrying some of the tools they need to do their job.

The aim was to avoid paying the £12.50 daily charge for using their vans within the zone, which combined with the Congestion Zone charge amounts to about £500 a month.

- What Is ULEZ? How Much Does The London Ultra Low Emission Zone Cost?

Defending the new vehicle emissions fee, an environmental campaigner suggested that these workers "need to change their business model" and instead swap their vans for bikes.

Rosalind Readhead told Nick Ferrari that "there are plenty of plumbers and electricians who are moving towards cargo bikes".

But Nick couldn't see how workers could carry big or heavy items like ladders on bikes.

"How is a person with ladders supposed to get around?" he asked.

She replied: "We didn't always have electricians, plumbers and carpenters moving around with workshops like sheds on wheels going round London."

"So you want to go back to horse and cart?" Nick said.

But when Ms Readhead said that "there are ladders that fold down," Nick insisted she explained how somebody could get a triple ladder to reach the rooftop of a mid-Victorian terrace house on a bike.

Watch above.