Bristol 'going green'
 

Bristol looks like it's really going to make life 'interesting' (?) and expensive for the motorist.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-50292596

I'm glad I moved away from there when I retired. It's not the easiest city to get around... and that's when one knows where one wants to actually go. I did not enjoy driving around it... but I had to, it was my job.

But I think that their 'forward planning' (?) is a bit OTT and unlikely to materialise in that there are thoughts of an underground railway system in the future!

perfect for us petrol engine owners and classic cars with high CO emissions ,which will be allowed in freely to what is a huge controlled area actually . , however nothing is set in stone yet ..

sounds like the people living there will buy petrol cars going forward.

Good idea for the air pollution there I guess, but might reduce business as a result?

As a general point things like this should be controlled by national government and local councils should be prevented from dicking about with bonkers and ill informed ideas - they should be spending their time and money on things in their gift to improve.

I remember 20 odd years ago York introduced higher parking fees, closed roads and carparks and whilst they didn't prohibit cars they made it more difficult and expensive to use them. In fairness they did put a good park and ride scheme in but it was operated with 20 year old buses belching black smoke out.

Take London - if you want to improve the air quality there then get rid of the ancient black cabs - I had a ride in a 1989 (F -plate) one last month.

Intresting they allow emergency services free what about non emergency service vehicles such as patient transport?, they aren't allowed in bus lanes or don't get any preferential treatment but the fleet is made up of 95%+ diesel vehicles are they going to be banned or charged for providing an essential service? putting more strain on a broken health service.

There are no two ways about it.

Wherever one goes (and not just necessarily in the UK), things just cannot go on the way they are. In the time that the infernal combustion engine has been in use, its use has escalated alarmingly. And the environment is suffering. And so are people.

But, we're not the worst. The BBC news coverage of life in Delhi is horrific. And there are plenty of other Asian areas that are getting as bad. But how long before some parts of the UK are almost as bad?

At my age, I can sit back and say: "Well it won't affect me in my lifetime." And then I remember London in the smogs back in the 1950's. Not pleasant. We can't leave it all to our children to sort out. It will be interesting to see if a new government will start taking notice of the fact that a lot of people do care.

But will we ever really separate some people from their petrol/diesel engines?

Eldest daughter lived in Bristol while at uni. On all my visits I never found the air particularly poluted. As for driving there, that's where the M32 dumps you, in the city center. I was following sat nav at 07.30 am and it took me M32, city center and out the other side. On the way home I found the M49 and by passed bristol.

Years ago visited Portsmouth, found a park and ride and took bus. Visited Chester and again find park and ride and use bus. As a visitor it's simple, as a tradesman with materials, tools and equipment to get to site it's a nightmare. Just wait till prices rise to compensate for extra costs and the eco warriors will not be so keen.

Having visited Bangkok where a visible pall hangs over the city Bristol is not in the same league. Even in Bangkok I nor the wife found any ill effects from breathing the air and she suffers from a debilitating respory desiese that would of quickly flared up if the polution was harmful.

Paul.

Paul.

I would agree that some areas of Bristol ain't too bad. If your daughter was at UWE, that is slightly more rural. But the noise from the M4 can be a PITA!

But some areas of the city centre can get very congested and are a right PITA - especially round the Temple Meads and city centre area. I well remember the 'inward groans' I had when I realised some of the places I was going to. Either twinned with Beirut or so 'condensed' that getting down some streets was a bit of an art. I suspect that, these days, a lot of the pollution in some area is more from the use of illegal substances.

Moving away was oh such a relief.

Does a an engine which complies with the EU6 exhaust standard actually produce an exhaust gas that is cleaner than the polluted air being taken into the car's engine?

If so modern vehicles should be given a welcome into the cities.

I remember SAAB advertising that exact thing back in the 1970's !