Surfs up! The Croydon commuter windsurfing his way to work because of the massive cost of the Ultra Low Emission Zone
Life might be a beach, but windsurfing to work through the streets of South London is surely taking it too far.
That has not deterred video maker George Alting Von Geusau, from Croydon, commuting across the capital in protest of the expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone – in the hope of getting a message to Sadiq Khan.
George, 25, who commutes all across South London to make films, including for BBC Radio London host Claira Hermet, faces a bill of more than £3,750 a year to travel – and that doesn’t count petrol.
With heavy and expensive equipment, he can’t always use public transport.
ULEZ was expanded on October 25 by London Mayor Sadiq Khan to take in all roads inside the South and North Circulars.
George, of Selsdon Road, said: “Let’s hear what Sadiq has to say about this tax hike. He needs to explain himself, – what is he doing here?
“Like all politicians, Mr Kahn, seems to care a lot about his public image, but does he really support the environmental concerns? Is it merely another classic self serving political PR stunt?
“He isn’t lowering the cost of the Tube. The trains and TfL prices are just pretty expensive when you add them up, and you’re doing it every day.
“We’re not outraged by the ULEZ expansion. But we want to make the point to the mayor that we’re the ones paying. What are you doing?
“He could lower the tube and train prices or alternatively London could be made a much more bike-friendly city.
“We understand that it’s for a good cause but it just seems like the city is not ready to switch to another mode of transport and ultimately TFL is increasing the cost of transport.
“This is my way of getting the message across.
“Ultimately, there’s certain people that have to drive in London and they can’t get around it and they’re potentially the ones that can’t afford it.
“The wealthier ones can go, ‘you know what, I won’t drive today’. So it’s ultimately taxing the ones that shouldn’t necessarily be taxed.”
George windsurfed across Tower Bridge, Trafalgar Square, Piccadilly Circus and the Millennium Bridge to prove his point.
He said: “People found it quite funny, generally. Obviously there were some people who thought it looked ridiculous.
“We even joked to some people that we were running for London Mayor.”
The ULEZ zone is now in operation 24 hours a day, every day, apart from Christmas day.
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