London Ulez Charge

[sunny-dave]

It's been announced the the London ULEZ (starting in 2019) will expand to cover the entire area inside the North/South Circular Road in 2021.

There are hefty charges for non-compliant vehicles (in addition the the existing Congestion Charge).

Full info here :

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone

Check your vehicle here :

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/vrm-checker-ulez

Everyone pays (including residents of the zone after a 'sunset period' to get rid of any non-compliant vehicles).

What do you feel :

Vital air quality improvement scheme ... or ...

Motorist Fleecing on a vast scale ??

[ Don't get too smug if you never visit London by car, every other biggish city will have their own money-generating scheme set up and ready to go very soon ]

smoggy dave xx

[mushroom25]

all UK local authorities have stringent emissions targets that they must meet. if London decide to do that by charging owners of polluting vehicles to discourage them from driving in London, then that's perfectly valid. nobody is forced to drive in London. Sheffield considered limiting sections of the M1 to 50mph as a way of meeting theirs.

[ToraToraTora]

motoring is too cheap anyway, good move.

[sunny-dave]

I entirely agree about the need for emissions control - but I'd be happier with an outright ban on the polluting vehicles.

Using a charging system is all wrong - it allows you to "pollute if you can afford it" - which is patently unfair.

[jno]

London's legal air pollution for 2018 was reached in January. They say 40,000 people a year die of it. Somethign has to be done. That sounds like a reasonable step.

Whether it works is another matter. Motorists may just decide to pay extra for the right to choke pedestrians, much as the congestion charge has now been normalised as all part of the London experience.

[ToraToraTora]

"which is patently unfair." - and life is of course totally fair!

[sunny-dave]

OK - replace "is patently unfair" with "won't drive the filthy diesels off the streets" - I think we agree on the need for that TTT?

[youngmafbog]

I'm all for reducing polution but this really looks like taxation.
Vans & minibuses Petrol Euro 4 (Jan 2007)
Diesel Euro 6 (Sep 2016) £12.50
Lorries Euro VI (Jan 2014) £100
Coaches and buses Euro VI (Jan 2014) £100

So unless you have a van, lorry or coach newer than 2014 you will have to pay. This is ludicrous as it is saying 4 year old vehicles are 'obsolete' And guess who will pay for this - those having work done or having goods delivered - so most food outlets etc.

I wonder if this applies to the London buses and if so how much fares will rise to cover it?

[youngmafbog]

Mush "nobody is forced to drive in London.".

You are aware it covers residents too?

[mushroom25]

yes. they have a "sundown" arrangement to encourage them to switch to a compliant vehicle. (my current car is 3 years old but is compliant). if I lived in London though, I wouldn't bother with a car.

[Hopkirk]

It's about time they applied the regulations to the diesel fridge units on chilled lorries.

The lorry's engine may be relatively clean, but the fridge unit can belch all sorts of filth.

[Old_Geezer]

Motorist Fleecing on a vast scale.

Changing rules for citizens instead of simply altering what's available over time, is draconian and simply an ego trip for those responsible, who aren't looking out for citizens' interests as they should. They should be removed and banned from public office as they're clearly incapable of doing the job.

[Canary42]

Should include trains.

[youngmafbog]

It's not always that simple Mush. When I lived in Peckham I needed to travel outside of London, and sometimes to centre London to park to get home in a reasonable time. It was fine if just going to work and back using trains/UG/buses of course but many people dont do that.

[douglas9401]

Fergus and Tarquin will have to pay a lot more for their quinoa and mung beans then.

Silver lining, making the highly fashionable squeal a bit.

[youngmafbog]

I must admit, that is a pleasant thought there Douglas.