An activist group deemed the “Blade runners” has been sawing carbon emissions monitoring camera poles in half, severing the wiring, in London, England. On cameras mounted higher up on traffic lights, the group painted over camera lenses in red paint. .All London boroughs (not including the M25 highway) have been classified as Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZ) to “help clear London's air,” according to the city’s website. The cameras monitor the zone “24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year” — except Christmas, which is apparently considered a free day. .People driving motorcycles, vans and specialist vehicles less than 3.5 tons that don’t “meet emissions standards” are required to pay £12.50 daily. Heavier vehicles over five tons are not compelled to pay ULEZ charges, but do need to pay a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) fee.Vehicles from outside the UK are subject to the same fees. .The city emphasizes in bold on its website, “This includes residents of the ULEZ,” indicating those who live in a given neighbourhood need to pay the fee everyday. However, if they don’t drive their vehicle one day and just leave it parked in the driveway, they don’t need to pay.“Even if you make a short trip inside the zone using a vehicle that doesn't meet the ULEZ emissions standards, you need to pay the £12.50 daily charge,” the website states. .The special cameras monitor all vehicles in each of its boroughs to enforce the mandatory payments system. “Blade Runners” likely refers to 1982 dystopian science fiction film, Blade Runner, set in 2019 about genetically-engineered humans taking over society. The group’s name could have double-meaning, as the poles are cut down with the blades of a saw.
