Pollution charges

[derek vivian]

As it seems today one will have to pay £12.50 to drive in London central area to avoid polluting the atmosphere I wonder if this is all a bit screwy? Over the past 30 years it is more and more new vehicles that have been driving in towns and cities of the UK in increasing numbers not older ones. My car is 22 years old this year and I have no intention of scrapping it to drive in London! If I must drive there I will pay the charge, but that will not reduce pollution will it?

[Harvey1512]

Why would anyone want to drive into the centre of London? It would scare me witless. If I ever need to go there it is train and tube for me.

To be fair to the authorities, they are only adding this on to the worse polluting cars. Keeping them out of the centre, where the air doesn't move too well and pollution just sits makes sense.

There is a bigger issue about this spreading to other cities where public transport is not so well served but I don't see it happening in London as being a crisis.

[john.wigley]

We have three cars, respectively 24, 19 and 13 years old, Derek. None have been driven in London in our ownership, and I can't remember when I did actually last drive there - it must be at least 20 years ago. I certainly have no wish to do so today.

When visiting other cities, e.g. Derby, Leicester or Nottingham we use the 'Park and Ride' facilities wherever possible, so this is unlikely to affect us greatly if it should be rolled out in the future.

As for pollution, I have long contended that older cars are in fact 'greener' than new ones when one amortises the cost of production over their lifespan. Pollution, in a broader sense, is much more than that which emanates from the tail-pipe. The cynic in me sees this as just another way of extracting money from those motorists who have little or no alternative to using their cars in London and other major cities.

Regards, John.

[Whippy]

The next stage is to extend this to the rest of London, this means that literally millions of families will now have to pay through the nose just to hang on to their family cars. The mantra is "either buy a new zero emissions car, walk or cycle, or use public transport."
We know how poor public transport is, so this policy will disadvantage, even penalize poorer families, the old and the infirm. There are already calls to extend this 'scheme' to the rest of Britain. Welcome to the urban elites Utopia.

[christheancient]

There was an interesting interview with Sadiq Khan (London Mayor) on BBC Breakfast this morning. He put a very good case for the implementation of the clean air zone (I'm glad I don't have to go into London any more!) where he made the comparisons between CO2 levels and NO2 levels over since the implementation of the zones in London and the present ones.

Bottom line is, whichever way things are looked at, London ain't a healthy place to live and work and the new zoning should help.

The link from the Beeb is a good one... www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47815117

[derek vivian]

I am not sure why modern cars (up to 10 years old) are so much less polluting than older cars (or other vehicles) Is it to do with exhaust because whenever it is being discussed on TV news programmes it is accompanied by pictures of car exhausts that is used to illustrate the toxic fumes coming out of exhausts and children standing nearby. Well, my car, and I suspect all Volvos, has a catalytic converter which I assumed rightly or wrongly prevented these harmful fumes. So why has this device not been updated ? And, anyway, how does a new car not emit toxic fumes? I am also of the opinion that drivers do not keep within speed limits generally which makes pollution worse whatever the age of the vehicle! I agree with the earlier post that it sounds like a money making exercise for the authorities!

[Whippy]

Even a euro five car with a dpf is a child of Satan according to them, and these are the same smug urban tits who cook their musli on wood burning ****ing stoves!

[Unknownsock]

Originally Posted by derek vivian

I am not sure why modern cars (up to 10 years old) are so much less polluting than older cars (or other vehicles) Is it to do with exhaust because whenever it is being discussed on TV news programmes it is accompanied by pictures of car exhausts that is used to illustrate the toxic fumes coming out of exhausts and children standing nearby. Well, my car, and I suspect all Volvos, has a catalytic converter which I assumed rightly or wrongly prevented these harmful fumes. So why has this device not been updated ? And, anyway, how does a new car not emit toxic fumes? I am also of the opinion that drivers do not keep within speed limits generally which makes pollution worse whatever the age of the vehicle! I agree with the earlier post that it sounds like a money making exercise for the authorities!

Old petrol vehicles emit large amounts of Co2 (Global warming) Old diesels emit large amounts of NOX and particulates (Lung desease in children) when your kids can't breathe you really need to do something about it, I drive a D4 which does nether

[DSK]

I work just outside central and suffer silly sinus issues (which improve when I go home to the midlands over the weekends). I'm all for trying to improve air quality but silly taxing isn't the solution despite it being an easy one to implement and enforce.

I would not change my vehicle for such regulations but rather revert to getting a commuter motorbike or a compliant car as cheaply as possible. Also the public is manipulated into buying certain types of cars at any given time, after a period, the powers that be further exploit them with taxes.

[DaveNP]

Living outside of London but within easy driving distance I'm initially inclined to agree with Harvey and ask why would anyone want to drive there? Our recent visits to central London have been by train, no traffic and no parking problems, but on further reflection I recall we have been to London by car, for instance when we went to a specialist French Horn Shop on the south of the river near Tower Bridge; me, the wife, my daughter and her horn teacher all in one car; much more practical than using the train. And if they expand the pollution zone further then my neice's and my sister's homes will be in the zone so Kia rather than Volvo when visiting them, but would be more inconvenient without the Kia as public transport is not so good further out.

Good public transport is the key to the scheme, being London born and bred my neice and nephews dont think of travelling by car as it is easier to use the tube and bus services in London, if Milton Keynes were to introduce some sort of car charging we'd be stuck with it as the public transport here is barely 'good', for the locations it does service, during the day and non-existant in the evening and overnight.