A new pollution charge, expected to affect one million people across large areas of London from next year, is causing anger and worry for motorists; directed at the man behind the new tax—London Mayor, Sadiq Khan.
From the 8th of April 2019, an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) will run in Central London and — from the 25th of October 2021 — will expand to include the inner London area surrounded by the North and South Circular roads, meaning vehicles driving inside the area must satisfy new, stricter emissions standards; or pay a daily charge of £12.50.
£1.5 billion a year
The government will enforce the ULEZ based on the declared emissions of the vehicle rather than the age but, cars liable to pay the ULEZ charge are petrol cars registered before 2005 and diesel cars registered before September 2015.
Transport for London encourages motorists to drive a vehicle that satisfies the new emissions standards instead of paying the charge, yet they will receive up to £1.5billion a year from the £12.50 daily charge—six times more than the £230million collected from the Congestion Charge alone.
The charge—which will replace the T-Charge and will run 24 hours a day, 365 days a year—will also affect owners of vans, motorcycles, and larger vehicles, including ambulances and fire engines. The ULEZ charge will be on top of the Congestion Charge and Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charge, and there won’t be any discount for residents.
Transport for London’s ‘integrated impact assessment’ predicts that around 565,000 cars and 276,000 vans registered in the capital will be liable for the ULEZ charge. Add HGVs and minicabs to the total number of vehicles and that number could increase to one million; unless an online petition, calling for a halt to the ULEZ expansion, succeeds.
‘Filthy and shameful’
The ULEZ charge came into being after studies showed that the air pollution caused by motor vehicles in the UK costs the NHS £6 billion a year, with a £650 million bill in London.
Officials believe the expanded ULEZ zone will mean reduced pollution across the whole of London and, by 2021, over 100,000 Londoners will no longer live in areas with illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter.
In June of this year, coinciding with the start of an investigation into how air pollution reduction strategies affect the health of children in London and Luton, Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan said:
“Tackling London’s lethal air and safeguarding the health of Londoners requires bold action.
“Air pollution is a national health crisis and I refuse to stand back as thousands of Londoners breathe in air so filthy that it shortens our life expectancy, harms our lungs and worsens chronic illness.
“I promised hard-hitting measures to tackle our shameful air pollution and today City Hall is confirming the next stage of our plans to expand the ultra-low emission zone up to the North and South Circular roads.”
Yet expanding the ULEZ into residential areas within the North and South Circular causes concern for RAC Public Affairs Manager, Nicholas Lyes, who said:
“Residents and small businesses within this area now have just three years to become compliant with the Mayor’s emission standards.
“This means many now face the daunting challenge of having to spend substantial amounts of money on a newer vehicle or face a daily charge of £12.50 to use their vehicles from October 2021.
“Motorists currently have no quick and easy means of knowing for certain what Euro emissions standard their car, or one they are looking to buy, meets–so it is absolutely vital that a central database is developed as quickly as possible.”
Mr Lyes also said the ULEZ expansion will most affect those from low-income backgrounds and those who work in roles such as hospitality and depend on using a car at night when public transport is not always available.
Coming to an area near you?
To see if the £12.50 charge will apply to your vehicle, use the ULEZ vehicle checker. If you’re caught driving through the zone without paying the daily fee, and with a vehicle not satisfying the emission standards, you’ll face a penalty charge of £160 (reduced to £80 if paid within 14 days).
If you’re looking for ways to avoid the ULEZ charge, officials suggest that, instead of paying the charge, people either walk, cycle, use public transport, rent a ULEZ-exempt vehicle from a car club, fit emission-reducing technology to their cars, buy an electric vehicle; or one that meets the ULEZ emissions standard.
Despite ULEZ only affecting London, there’s nothing to stop something similar happening across the UK. In fact, some councils are already planning their own emissions-based charges. With this in mind, cars not meeting the stricter emissions standards may experience a large drop in resale value.
Across the water, our French cousins—donned in the yellow vests that all cars in France must carry by law—have been rioting against fuel tax increases. With Gareth Bacon, leader of the Conservative Party in the London Assembly likening ULEZ to the poll tax, could he be right when he inferred that the mayor might experience his own ‘yellow vest’ moment once people realise they’ll pay up to £4,000 more each year to drive their cars?
What’s your view on the ULEZ? With the scandalous air pollution levels; do you welcome the charge? Will the ULEZ affect you? Share your views in the comments.
YET ANOTHER RIP OFF TAX ON MOTORISTS. WHY NOT SPEND SOME OF THE BILLIONS THEY ALREADY RIP US OFF ROAD TAX, FUEL DUTY ON THE ROADS INSTEAD OF SQUANRDING IT ELSEWHERE, AND MAKE ALL POLETITONS PAY THERE QWN ROAD TAX AND FREE FUEL INSTAD OF PONSON OFF US AND THEN THEY WILL NOT BE SO KEEN TO PUT YET ANTHER HIGH TAX AND MAKE W@NK@R B\KHAN PAY HIS TAX HIMSELF. DPJ777.
It seems some of it should be spent on education. Or should that be egukayshun?
My elderly, disabled father, who lives within the North/South circular roads will be affected. Unless he buys a newer car (which he cannot afford), he will be unable to drive anywhere. He values his independence greatly and this will render him virtually housebound as he cannot walk very well. The government must offer financial incentives to enable those on pensions, or low incomes, to purchase a newer, lower emission vehicle.
This is a perfect example for making use of the motability system which unfortunately for the majority of people is biased against them.
The solution is pretty simple. Bring in Government run fair low interest rate loans to people who need a newer, lower emission vehicle but otherwise cannot afford to change. Priority for these loans should be given to people who live or have to travel through affected Zones regularly (for things like work or caring for family members, etc). Used electric and hybrid vehicles meeting the new Zone requirements should also be included, not just brand new vehicles.
If my city brought this ULEZ c**p in, I’d be out of a job. I’m one of those underemployment statistics that gets thrown around any time the government boasts about how low the unemployment rate is and I simply wouldn’t be able to afford to work any more. My car is a 3-door 1.6L Euro 4 diesel averaging 60 real world MPG and costs £30 a year road tax yet is not ULEZ compliant. It is the Governments fault we are in this mess in the first place and I will not take part in fixing a problem they created.
Once again it will hit those less off, and ofcourse it will not just stay in London once other cities realise there is money to be made.
I understand the need to drop emissions for those who are effected by them, but there needs to be help in affording the changes required to the vehicles that will fail the requirements.
The annoying aspect is that the charge is governed by the VIN number of your car, regardless of how much pollution it produces; e.g.if you have an old car converted to run on LPG it will pollute less than a new car running on petrol – but that doesn’t help you.
It can and should be challenged in court as being discriminatory, but that would be very expensive so, realistically, would require a class action.
What a shame we “demutualised” the AA!
affected
Problem answered. Apparently, historic vehicles are exempt, so just go and buy a pre-1979 Jaguar XJS 5.3 convertible, and drive around the ULEZ all day. Problem solved.
There is no such car, the XJS cabriolet was built from 1983 – 1987, the convertible from 1988 to 1996, a pre 1979 XJS Coupe, is a very rare expensive item, with a very expensive to run V12, in town around 8 miles to the gallon! Nice idea but not feasible! There are a lot of other cheaper makes of historic cars, which use less petrol though.
Well slap my wrists for being sarcastic. How about a 1973 MGBGT then ? But not as much fun. Prefer the Jag or Stag, but that’s just me.
ha-ha you have just had your wrists slapped by a petrol head
Buy a bike
Yes. A 1000cc MotoGuzzi
Now now
Will your XJS be exempt from the congestion charge.
Classic cars still pay the charge as far as i am aware.
While I totally agree with the reduction in pollution levels it would be nice to think that the extra revenue from the charge would be used to improve the transport into London , but I like many others suspect it will only serve to enhance the lottery winning salaries of those in charge including the Mayors office.
Well, due to the Crossrail debacle that has landed London ratepayers with an unexpected and additional 2 billion pound debt, Khan needs to remedy this budgetary deficit and his planned pollution control measures with this ULEZ represents a convenient fix.
why not make public transport free like the buses in Dunkirk and use some of the new tax to subsidise this., the rest of the money could go to pay the extra high NHS bill in London
Time we, and government recognise that anti pollution policy is driven by the car industry pushing new car sales.
Politicians should be pushing for the development of engine replacement (to electric) program.
A particular engine model is used in whole ranges of cars and replacing with a physical similar module could be a competent DIY job.
The present policy does not take into account the pollution produced in the recycling and scraping of perfectly good vehicles and the pollution produced in the manufacture of the new car.
Another money making scam on motorists-by a useless Mayor of London.
Another RIP OFF from a totally useless mayor, apart from trousering an obscene salary just what has he done to better the lives of ordinary people?, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Walking along Euston road in london from the tube station to get to work I’m in Europe s most polluted street. Why is that ok? Sitting in traffic spewing out toxic diesel fumes, particulates and nitrous oxide are countless blackcabs mostly empty. Something needs to change. London is suffocating.
Move from London.
You sound extremely entitled, remember without those cars and lorrys you wouldn’t have those fancy things in London.
Hopefully companies will leave London and let it starve.
boycott london city center
Boycott London altogether. Once the revenue starts dropping, old Sadique Khan will be back peddling and crying.
Ambulances, fire engines, how does that help public services ooooooooooooo and even buses…
Khan in his hypocrisy will give those Public Service Vehicles exemption, as with the diesel engined Riverbus fleet now – none of which comply to his current legislation, let alone from next year….
The North Circular is possibly the worst culprit in terms of vehicle pollution, yet those on the inside of the road will be charged, but those on the outside of the road will not, even though they are equally affected. Classic virtue signalling by this fool of a mayor.
It won’t be long before it’s extended to the area within the M25.
Where would you draw the line then, there is always going to be someone just inside and someone else just outside, or hadn’t that occurred to you??
Where do these people come from thinking they know best what
s good for everybody he is like that dictator Sturgeon we have in Scotland if she does not like anything I,e. referendum results she want to keep having them till she wins. Now she wants to change the emission rules on cars for citys in Scotland because she does not like themDon’t get me started on Sturgen.
Yet another way to rip off the motorist. O K so we need to take account of the damage caused by pollution, but local authorities “talk the talk” but create more pollution by their decisions. Living outside London we have no bus station (A capital City ?) so our public transport system sit at bus timing points with engines running. They close out of town parking schemes often before events start, meaning traffic has to move through the City looking for parking spaces.
So those who do all the planning should look at the problems created by their decision making.
ULEZ charging does not apply to EU6 compliant diesel cars, some of which were registered as early as 2013.
Why can’t the government just let old cars die over time? There’s not many high polluters on the road left. Why tax people of the roads. Surely it I hits the less well off more! No one really wants to drive an old banger longer than necessary.
Er, classic cars
ULEZ charges do not apply to any EU6 compliant diesel cars. Some of these were registered prior to the stated date of September 2015, and as early as 2013.
There are a good many of us driving older diesels around currently as we were urged to buy diesel, not petrol, by the governments of the time. I’ve had mine from new, have no wish to change, but will have to inside three years when the extension to the NCR happens. At that stage my (perfectly serviceable, still) vehicle will get scrapped as this close to London nobody will want to touch it I suspect, even as a part-ex.
So you probably need a spare £5000 minimum to get an EU6 car and a lot more if you need a lwb van. I suspect that is beyond the reach of many people
YEP, WHY do ‘government officials’ ride around in gas guzzlers, not paying ‘company car tax’ or road fund licence, or even fuel, bloody stinks, thank goodness I have no need to visit the ‘capital’, bad enough running a vehicle with a DPF and having to drive ‘vigorously’ to enable the DPF to clean itself, (16mpg ish for 20 miles plus) …………….. THE POINT IS ?
Taxing the poorest who cant afford a new car, Shame on you Khant..
£4500 a year proves that the incompetent Sadiq Khan doesn’t give a rats ar*e for the health of London citizens. If he did, he would simply ban high polluting vehicles from the City, instead of simply profiteering from hard working people trying to earn an honest living.
If this rolls out to other towns and cities then I and probably many others will simply start using out of town retail parks or start doing all our shopping online! Not only will they then not get any “emissions tax” but they won’t get any business tax from all the shops that will eventually close down!
Easy enough to get around these charges – get cloned plates! Some other poor sucker will get the fines through their letter boxes. I know, as it’s happening to me. It’s most unlikely these people will be caught (as explained to me by the Met’s transport division, when I phoned them in exasperation) due to staff shortages. So don’t worry about these charges, in fact, no need to sit in a queue of traffic, just sail along in the bus lanes. Yes, apparently both my car and I have been doing that, too, though I thought I was at home in rural south west at the time.
The disposal of tax discs encouraged cloning……..fancy no-tax,no insurance or test, that’s why hit and run accidents have shot up. Most of the emissions IS CAUSED by stationary vehicles, What a scam this is
Of course charging motorists to use certain roads will work… Look at London, been charging road uses their congestion charge for years and now the roads all all nice and clear arnt they??????
Stupid stupid Khan….. we have our own “unelected” mayor in manchester… she should be fired and take khan with him
Exactly on my wavelength. Adding another tax to the congestion charge is just another way to get more money, there is no other reason. Like you said, how is it going to make any difference as whether people go into London, when they need to do this on a daily basis, if he thinks they do it for fun, he is in a fantasy world? These people will just be worse off, or consider alternative transport or even work outside Greater London itself. This is exactly what he is not considering. It will also take more money out of the NHS budget (for the ambulances), and already in desperate need of more funds, not less, and put prices up for the consumer, as small businesses, in particular, cannot afford to absorb the additional expense for their vehicles (them being the ones that are more likely to have older vans/cars etc). I am fortunate that I don’t live in London, but have visited regularly as a disabled driver, as this allows me to get closer to my destination and makes me more independent. This idea just makes things more complicated and expensive. I am dreading it being rolled out in other towns and cities, and if and when we will be told, because if you travel alot and turn up in a town one day, unaware that they have the tax, you could face their hefty fines. Again, these high ranking officials live in a fantasy world.
The lunatic is running the asylum.
If we had all been a bit more honest about environmental damage being done by motoring when it first came to light more than 50 years ago; if we had all been less selfish over those last 50 years; if politicians of all political parties had shown a bit more leadership – all this could have been resolved years ago. If you are a motorist of any kind you are contributing to the environmental damage – and that includes the human and financial cost to the country and especially the NHS of highly polluted air. So get over it, man up and pay up what you owe the country and its citizens for the last half century. You really have had motoring on the cheap for years – now we all have to pay up for the damage we have doing and the damage we are continuing to do – and yes, that includes me.
You think the top 5% of earners will step out of their car for your benefit..get back to reality,or would you like us all on donkeys again..
So, you’ve never used any form of transport then, other than a horse and cart?
It can all be resolved now with a bit of goodwill and vision. Telling the motorist to pay up is penalising drivers for what previous generations have done – If you think it is just to have to pay for what others have done go ahead and pay, but count me out.
Just another Tax when will the people wake up and do as the French vote with your feet
This country needs a revolution we are being treated like mushrooms
Mushrooms?…
Kept in the dark and sh*t on twice a day
Even mushrooms, kept in the dark and fed on bulls*%t, know more than we do.
If Fire Engines and Ambulances are included, then the local services should blacklist the areas or the Mayor must foot the bill for the cost of upgrading to low-emission Fire Engines and Ambulances.
Obviously, the Mayor thinks he’s only going to get the newer vehicles in a mixed emergency fleet, while those outside of the area get the older ones. In effect, a free upgrade to newer Fire Engines and Ambulances for central London!
There is no solution to this problem unless we all start to work in our own Cities/Towns/etc. and the situation would require such a different way of life that it would need a better Government than we have ever had to fabricate such a long term plan and the opposition when in power to carry on with that plan.Stand by a motorway for 5 minutes then try to imagine how to change that situation.It will take at least 30 years..just moving the people involved is a mammoth task in itself,we do not have the Railway Stations,or Railway Lines or Rolling Stock to even contemplate such a move,just grabbing things from the air, I.e.we need electric cars just won’t cut it..Government has known for 40 years about the housing crisis,and where are we today on that problem?
If Thatcher hadnt dessimated local industries, maybe we wouldnt be in this sh**e
I’m driving a 2005 1.6 Meriva – it cost me £550 a year ago and wouldn’t be subject to the charge. I’m aware £550 isn’t peanuts to a lot of people, but this isn’t as crippling are making out. If my 13 year old car is ‘clean’ enough to drive about the streets of the ULEZ then I assume most are. This is going to hit someone in the zone with a nice example of an 80s or 90s ‘modern classic’ car for sure, but as most cars on UK roads are quite a bit newer than mine (average UK car age is apparently about 8), I don’t think this is as bad as people are making out.
You are slightly mistaken my friend. A large number of modern cars are not classed as clean enough. However, historic vehicles are apparently exempt, so just buy a pre 1979 classic car.
if its petrol you will be charged £12,50 and that for 2019 ,in2020 he will move the goalposts to include all cars registered before 2007 .If labour get in power they will keep this b#’4#%rd
For gods sake don’t let Corbyn or Abbot anywhere near number 10. We’d be defenceless, policeless, overrun, and taxed to the hilt, and criminals could freely ride mopeds and not be chased and knocked off, because Abbit said we shouldn’t be doing it. Boo bloody hoo.
I run lwb luton van for removals and trading business, diesel is my only option. I barely squeezed 6.5k for vehicle upgrade to 2010 Sprinter with 79k miles and with tons of work done on vehicle by myself ( box swap, rustproofing, servicing). To be compliant with euro 6 for similar vehicle I would need around 18k. There are alot of small businesses that are dependant on vehicles like these. Tree cutting, waste disposal, small shops, charities etc. And finance is not really an option with current income.
Good – reduce traffic levels slightly and get rid of the worst polluting vehicles hopefully.
If I want to go to inner London I use public transport so must admit it won’t really affect me.
I agree to some extent, but the polution level has been helped one iota by many of the measures brought in by successive majors & authorities. Bus lanes mean lesd room for other vehicles..therefore conjestion….longer ‘stop’ phased traffic lights add to that…and unnecessary speed humps/restrictions..all have been proved to actually increase polution. But hey, look at all the money this generates for the greedy mayor. But let’s not forget that he like MP’s, Ministers, and Officials never have to put their jands in their pockets to pay for their transport..it’s all paid for by everyone but themselves.
Maybe like the French, it could soon be time for a revolution…
Then your input is somewhat impotent my friend.
AND you are not now able to vote him out.Now how.that for progress
Does it really take rioting in the streets to make a change. Those Frenchies know how to get their point across but why should it come to that. I dont have one good thing to say about the government who have one method of rule – punish the people – Put them in a boat called ‘brexit’ and push it out to sea in the fishing grounds we wont own.
just another “save the environment” cash cow , anything to do with saving the world cost us as people cash, nice way to make a buck or two. just makes me wonder what happens above us, does our environment become safe, the ozone is fine above us whilst the rest of the world dies the likes of china and trumps kingdom pumping out as much rubbish as it can into the air which it seems to me is only killing them, cause we are safe as we pay for our clean air.
Is that really how it works?
Just a quick thought on electric cars, when petrol and diesel engines have died a death where does all that revenue made from fuel be diverted to, would it by any chance be put on electricity to make up the short fall, at least now you pay for your fuel separately, soon every time you put your TV, kettle or even charge your phone you will be paying for someone’s car in VAT on your power and oh yes the usual line of future proofing. That amount of revenue is not just going to disappear, it will have to be diverted.
Prior to becoming Mayor, as part of his pre-election spiel, Mr Khan favoured motorcycles as they caused less congestion. This policy , as many, has gone by the board despite motorcycles polluting less as well as taking up less room on the roads and causing less wear and tear. Well done Sadiq penalise lower income people and create more congestion. I hope we all sign the petition and if necessary blockade London, with engines running of course.
People in Inner London do not know how good the public transport is. Many of the bus services run 24/7 and there’s the night buses. The Underground’s available at the weekend. In fact many of the people living in central London don’t own or want a car. Even out in South Harrow where I used to live there is the 140 and the 114 and even the other services run from at least a 30 minute service before 6am to around midnight. Here on the outskirts of Manchester many bus services run 7am to 7pm and if they run at all in the evening or on Sundays there is only an hourly service. Northern trains last trains leave about 11pm from central Manchester.
As usual no thought ever goes into the lower income families or businesses it’s easy to say buy a newer car van ,whatever so you don’t need to pay the charge where is assistance to help buy these expensive vehicles ,again what about deliveries to local amenities it will increase cost to all and there we go again inflation higher demand for wages it is never ending.
The wealthy will pay no attentions to the omission as it is coffee change to them and they are the biggest polluters with their oversized look at me and my expensive car ain’t I cool .
All public transport fees will increase therefore up goes the rates household and businesses rates it’s has not been very well thought out.
I have said before how does bleeding someone dry and forcing money out of a work force cut pollution all it does is alienate people there has to be a more logical and easier way such as looking at what is causing the most pollution.
My city Salisbury has more closed shops than open, coffee bars are the only productive shops and the city is dead.
There is a campaign nationwide to bring the city’s back to life these proposals without proper thought for the consequences will be the final nail in the coffin for hundreds of shops and small businesses.
With that said pollution needs to be controlled,but those in charge must take a long look how to get public transport and deliveries into a city and out quickly and efficiently,if this was sorted pollution will drop dramatically as vehicles would not be waiting in mile long queues choking the city and the public will use this mode of transport if it was quick and efficient and cost effective.
Sounds like this is another rip off the motorist, as we don’t have large amounts of money as pensioners I will not change my car just to drive and pay London Mayor Sadiq Khan money. I will avoid spending any money in London.
And not a single penny of those taxes will go towards helping the environment,biggest scam ever!!.
Think about that for a minute.
Many years ago I had a problem like this within a building where solvents were used as part of a process. Staff wore masks but we had to develop a better solution. I installed a suction fan to the drainage pipe system which sucked the heavier (nitrogen oxide is heavier than air) gases into the already installed building floor drainage system via a fan system outside the building. The air from this was filtered and put back into the atmosphere, somewhat cleaner that normal air for the area.
Central London thanks to Mr Bazalgette has miles and miles of underground connected drainage ducts which could be used to extract the gases from low ground level and passed through filters elsewhere. Any contact with water would also aid the collection of the impurities as the sewage and drainage water is cleaned at sewage treatments works.
Bazalgette was faced with a severe London city problem in his days and came up with a solution (not perfect but was improved over the years).
Come on Lord Mayor of London set your council guys a task.
There is no robust evidence to substantiate these exaggerated claims, the text is deliberately scaremongering, how many of the people supposedly suffering respiratory problems smoke?
3 years ago there were no respiratory problems associated with vehicles.
If the air was lethal all Londoners would be dead.
It is said to cost the NHS £650 million per annum yet this tax will collect £1.5 billion, it is clear that this is all about collecting money.
Air quality is certainly not a national problem but it is a convenient excuse for councils to make money.
Another tax on motorists to appease the tree huggers and bolster Khans coffers.
Another tax on the motorist to try to appease the tree huggers but more importantly swell Khans coffers, unless he’s giving it to the NHS……..I thought not.
I’m not regular to London, thankfully, but I do not know the low emissions zone restrictions, which I have entered at Heathrow Airport but not had any bills, and then the congestion charge, so god help any foreign visitors to the capital by car. Then you have the Dartford bridge which again you have to pay online, which if you are on holiday, you may not have access to the internet. It could work out to be a very expensive visit to London, which may help other areas of the UK when visitors stay away from all these charges. Then public transport is not a cheap option either, I can travel to Heathrow cheaper by my car than by train or bus, and in comfort. Can’t see this ULEZ tax helping our capital or its residents in any way, just another rip off by Britain.
I suppose if the congestion charge and ULEZ charge are implemented by some kind of software, I wonder how long it will be before some computer geek works out a way how to bypass them and make a mint on eBay? Hang on, that’s an idea. Catch you all later.
Fools like Sadiq Khan will destroy not only London, but eventually the whole Country, bit by bit.
In the past London has had issues with air quality but cars have become cleaner over the years & coal is no longer widely used to heat homes. However environmentalists will never be happy & so called green taxes are viewed as more acceptable than other taxation. Hence we will have more & more green taxes until we stand up & say enough is enough as they are doing in France at this moment.
First we are told diesel is cleaner because of reduced carbon dioxide emissions which by the way, does not harm anyones health. Of course because of particulates, diesel is in fact not as clean as petrol but then of course the obsession was carbon dioxide. Now we are told to buy electric without a thought about whether the grid can cope with everyone charging their cars or indeed whether we would even have the capacity once all our fossil fuel power stations are closed down to satisfy the green lobby. Soon they will tell us electric cars are bad & so must be taxed with perhaps hydrogen as the next favoured clean technology.
is it to late to hang him ,I’m a disabled pensioner I cant afford a new car on state pension nor can I travel by bus /train /plane and with new knees that wont bend I cant cycle
Did the Industrialists of the 1750 – 1900 period worry about what the effects of their activities would be on people in the 21st century? No – so why are we bothering. The worldwide problem is over-population, animals and rice fields producing methane [23 times more harmful than carbon dioxide]. 1930’s population of world = 3 billion…….now it is in excess of 7.5 billion, so no wonder there is a problem. Recycle, & control plastic appearing in the seas, but the rest of it is nonsense ….one volcanic eruption cancels all the savings. Remember when Yellowstone erupts the world, for humans, is over. The eruption is overdue [ground surface is expanding] as last one was 650,000 years ago, and they occur every 650,000 years. Live for today, and let tomorrow look after itself.
They might complain but most will pay because when they own a car they MUST use it to travel anywhere at all , will not even think about that there other means of traveling other than driving everywhere in their car Try walking again
What, 30 miles to work?
seconded. I’m not spending 5 hours of my life walking to work and back. let alone dying on the many roads without paths.. not everyone lives in the city
This is a despicable tax that will hurt smaller businesses and those on lower incomes who cannot afford a new low emission vehicle. Everyone’s will lose out as businesses in general will increase prices to pay for the extra taxes. Now that one lunatic mayor has introduced this charge it will be only a matter of time that others of his ilk including Andy Burnham, who has voiced his car hating rhetoric for years.