Current Affairs Sadiq Khan......London Mayor.....

[peteblue]

Or they can use Euro 6 vehicles, which have been the norm for a number of years.

Of course. They can just go out and buy a new van, until Euro 7 comes along and then just do the same again. Now if the London Mayor collected all of these tariffs, over £3k pa for a van driver, and offered to return the money in whole for anyone buying a new van then fair enough. But we all know it will be spent on another army of jobsworths and cameras....

 

[peteblue]

There are around 5 million tube journeys taken every day Pete. Put even a fraction of those into cars and things will get hugely messy from a congestion standpoint, let alone a pollution standpoint. I fully understand that commercial traffic, together with buses and taxis, make up the majority of London traffic, but seeing as you have argued persuasively that pollution around Heathrow is excessive, surely the similar levels in the entire of central London will cause you to suggest changes need to be made. I'm sure Mr Khan is open to your input if you were to offer your services.

Re your latter point, granted, I tend to travel out of the UK more than I do out of London, but the train has always been perfectly adequate if I did need to travel within the UK.

I haven’t argued anything about excessive pollution around Heathrow, merely pointing out that aeroplanes do pollute

The policies of Mr Khan affect the less well off and businesses. They tend to be stick based policies and not carrot based.

Your aeroplanes and trains are indeed fine for visiting cities and Major towns, although getting around them is not quite as easy as in London. The rest of us however, with no railway station or even a bus operating more than once a day, can sympathise with the London tradespeople.......

 

[dead_soft]

Of course. They can just go out and buy a new van, until Euro 7 comes along and then just do the same again. Now if the London Mayor collected all of these tariffs, over £3k pa for a van driver, and offered to return the money in whole for anyone buying a new van then fair enough. But we all know it will be spent on another army of jobsworths and cameras....

What do you think he's making all this money for? Has he got a nefarious deed?

 

[peteblue]

What do you think he's making all this money for? Has he got a nefarious deed?

No idea, I think he is a political Pygmy who is totally out of his depth......but it is a useful reminder that the Labour answer for every problem is to raise tax......

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I haven’t argued anything about excessive pollution around Heathrow, merely pointing out that aeroplanes do pollute

The policies of Mr Khan affect the less well off and businesses. They tend to be stick based policies and not carrot based.

Your aeroplanes and trains are indeed fine for visiting cities and Major towns, although getting around them is not quite as easy as in London. The rest of us however, with no railway station or even a bus operating more than once a day, can sympathise with the London tradespeople.......

I don't know what point you're making Pete. Car ownership is lower in London than anywhere else in Britain, largely for the reasons I mentioned. This is especially so in central London, which is where the worst pollution is. You seem to be suggesting that the numerous health problems caused by air pollution in central London are fine because Pimlico Plumbers need to get about, and airports outside the centre of London also pollute heavily.

 

[peteblue]

I don't know what point you're making Pete. Car ownership is lower in London than anywhere else in Britain, largely for the reasons I mentioned. This is especially so in central London, which is where the worst pollution is. You seem to be suggesting that the numerous health problems caused by air pollution in central London are fine because Pimlico Plumbers need to get about, and airports outside the centre of London also pollute heavily.

Bruce, I have no problem with using cleaner vehicles. Its good for the environment and provides manufacturing employment. It’s the means, the ever changing standards and crass short term political decisions I cannot take. Remember how Brown wanted everyone to drive a diesel car. Plus I have no doubt that London’s problems will almost certainly result in similar stupid political ‘solutions’ being rolled out to the rest of the country....

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Bruce, I have no problem with using cleaner vehicles. Its good for the environment and provides manufacturing employment. It’s the means, the ever changing standards and crass short term political decisions I cannot take. Remember how Brown wanted everyone to drive a diesel car. Plus I have no doubt that London’s problems will almost certainly result in similar stupid political ‘solutions’ being rolled out to the rest of the country....

Congestion/emissions charging is quite progressive is it not? It only affects those who do the damage, which seems altogether fairer than a general tax, especially given the aforementioned low rates of car ownership. Hopefully car ownership, and possibly even the car itself, will go the way of the dodo before long anyway.

 

[Joey66]

So you're both arguing that flights should have similar measures taken against them?

Why not feul and nise pollution but it for the rich some socialist hey.......

 

[orchard]

I haven’t said anything of the sort. I merely pointed out that @Joey66 was correct and that aeroplanes contribute to pollution. As can be seen by the picture Bruce has produced.......

Yea, airlines and automobiles are major sources of pollution and they both need addressing. Good point.

 

[roydo]

Why not feul and nise pollution but it for the rich some socialist hey.......

Anyone?

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

This new charge is awful, should be charged on mileage per vehicle. You literally enter the zone, park up for the day and be charged the same as someone driving round in the same day all day in exactly the same vehicle or even a worse polluter. Ridiculous.

And 40 years of poor infrastructure investment and the blind insanity that the private sector will pick up the slack, proof again it's fairy dreams.

 

[peteblue]

This new charge is awful, should be charged on mileage per vehicle. You literally enter the zone, park up for the day and be charged the same as someone driving round in the same day all day in exactly the same vehicle or even a worse polluter. Ridiculous.

And 40 years of poor infrastructure investment and the blind insanity that the private sector will pick up the slack, proof again it's fairy dreams.

Poor infrastructure...in London...you must visit our village one day......

 

[NilSatisOptimum]

Poor infrastructure...in London...you must visit our village one day......

Not just London then, but don't worry I'm sure the private sector will swing by and fill the void, or get on your bike !

 

[tsubaki]

This new charge is awful, should be charged on mileage per vehicle. You literally enter the zone, park up for the day and be charged the same as someone driving round in the same day all day in exactly the same vehicle or even a worse polluter. Ridiculous.

And 40 years of poor infrastructure investment and the blind insanity that the private sector will pick up the slack, proof again it's fairy dreams.

I agree, they should have banned them.

 

[zzr45]

Of course. They can just go out and buy a new van, until Euro 7 comes along and then just do the same again. Now if the London Mayor collected all of these tariffs, over £3k pa for a van driver, and offered to return the money in whole for anyone buying a new van then fair enough. But we all know it will be spent on another army of jobsworths and cameras....

Scrappage schemes

The Mayor of London has implemented a range of schemes to help drivers in London scrap their older, more polluting vehicles to meet required emissions standards.

tfl.gov.uk

That’s pretty much exactly what’s happening, especially for small businesses. Most vans etc aren’t owned outright anyway, so for most companies it’s a case of altering whatever lease deal they are on. The end game is clearly a push towards electric but that’s no bad thing.