https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ulez-fee-the-new-london-pollution-charge-may-be-mayor-sadiq-khans-poll-tax-moment-kf8h2z5hm?shareToken=50fd0db33f7e78ede69332bfd5bf9 172

I'm unskilled at political prophesising so I won't try to predict
what will happen.

I've said many times that motorists are the sleeping tigers of
London politics and that if they ever wake up and recognise
what is going on, their unified reaction could sweep away
several dishonest, hypocritical politicians. As I've posted before,
if this Mayor or any of his predecessors had genuinely been
concerned about air pollution in London, they would have
stopped making our roads unfit for road vehicles.

In my neighbourhood, Whipps Cross Roundabout, which has
always done a splendid job of processing three large, constant
streams of traffic, is now being replaced by a complex system with . . . .
yes, oh so predictably . . . . numerous traffic lights. The increase in
traffic queues and air pollution will be horrendous.

On Sun, 9 Dec 2018 11:42:57 +0000, Robin9
wrote:


I'm unskilled at political prophesising so I won't try to predict
what will happen.

I've said many times that motorists are the sleeping tigers of
London politics and that if they ever wake up and recognise
what is going on, their unified reaction could sweep away
several dishonest, hypocritical politicians. As I've posted before,
if this Mayor or any of his predecessors had genuinely been
concerned about air pollution in London, they would have
stopped making our roads unfit for road vehicles.

In my neighbourhood, Whipps Cross Roundabout, which has
always done a splendid job of processing three large, constant
streams of traffic, is now being replaced by a complex system with . . .
.
yes, oh so predictably . . . . numerous traffic lights. The increase in
traffic queues and air pollution will be horrendous.

Yes, I think Sadiq may be taking aim at a rather large, belligerent
target. It seems that far more motorists and vans will be affected by
this new charge than had been suggested. This looming charge (really,
more of a new tax) will be a pretty good way of getting Shaun Bailey
elected in 2020.

Sadiq only has to look at Paris today to get a feeling for what
happens when you alienate a lot of the population. Brits aren't as
violent, but they could still make like difficult for him.

Robin9 wrote:

I'm unskilled at political prophesising so I won't try to predict
what will happen.

I've said many times that motorists are the sleeping tigers of
London politics and that if they ever wake up and recognise
what is going on, their unified reaction could sweep away
several dishonest, hypocritical politicians. As I've posted before,
if this Mayor or any of his predecessors had genuinely been
concerned about air pollution in London, they would have
stopped making our roads unfit for road vehicles.

In my neighbourhood, Whipps Cross Roundabout, which has
always done a splendid job of processing three large, constant
streams of traffic, is now being replaced by a complex system with . . .
..
yes, oh so predictably . . . . numerous traffic lights. The increase in
traffic queues and air pollution will be horrendous.


Reality will soon be dawning for the owners of the 2.5 million vehicles who
will be hit by the new ULEZ fee in just three months time:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/almost-2-5m-drivers-a-year-will-be-caught-by-london-pollution-charge-gvw5vw6hs?shareToken=501580d835a761d8b0757dc1f7348 c6b

I wonder how many of them will be regretting voting for Sadiq?

It will be interesting to see if the Tories have the savvy to
recognise the political potential in this. So far, they've been
as out of touch with normal people as the other parties.

"Robin9" wrote in message
...

It will be interesting to see if the Tories have the savvy to
recognise the political potential in this. So far, they've been
as out of touch with normal people as the other parties.

yep, that is what will save Sadiq

the Tories wont have the nerve to go to the polls with a policy of reversing
the "tax"

It's not like they even have to campaign to abolish it.

you just have to make it only apply to cars that are more 8-9 years old
(whatever Euro standard that is)
and wait a few years before applying it to the next standard

Making it apply immediately to cars that are only 2 years old is just
"unfair"

tim

In message , at 13:26:13 on Thu, 10 Jan
2019, tim... remarked:
It will be interesting to see if the Tories have the savvy to
recognise the political potential in this. So far, they've been
as out of touch with normal people as the other parties.

yep, that is what will save Sadiq

the Tories wont have the nerve to go to the polls with a policy of
reversing the "tax"

It's not like they even have to campaign to abolish it.

you just have to make it only apply to cars that are more 8-9 years old
(whatever Euro standard that is)

That'll be Euro-5 (2009-2011 phased introduction).

and wait a few years before applying it to the next standard

Making it apply immediately to cars that are only 2 years old is just
"unfair"

It's undue haste, certainly.
--
Roland Perry

The day of reckoning arrives tomorrow:

https://walthamforest.gov.uk/content...ss-interchange

Anyone who believes this self-congratulatory drivel is an idiot. I suspected
TfL were involved when I saw that a forest of traffic lights was part of the
new system.

In message , at 09:23:54 on Sun, 9 Dec 2018,
Recliner remarked:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...don-pollution-
charge-may-be-mayor-sadiq-khans-poll-tax-moment-kf8h2z5hm?shareToken=50
fd0db33f7e78ede69332bfd5bf9172

"the charge, levied on older and more polluting vehicles...
applies to nearly all diesel cars and vans licensed before
September 2015"

In other words, not just "older" ones, but almost all that aren't
effectively brand new. And of course the ones which escape the charge
are precisely the generation where some manufacturers were recently
caught fiddling the testing.

If they were genuinely wanting this charge to persuade people to buy/use
less-polluting vehicles, it should have been set for diesels at the
previous 2009 Euro-5 standard, because not everyone can afford to scrap
their three year old car.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 09:23:54 on Sun, 9 Dec 2018,
Recliner remarked:

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/u...don-pollution-
charge-may-be-mayor-sadiq-khans-poll-tax-moment-kf8h2z5hm?shareToken=50
fd0db33f7e78ede69332bfd5bf9172

"the charge, levied on older and more polluting vehicles...
applies to nearly all diesel cars and vans licensed before
September 2015"

In other words, not just "older" ones, but almost all that aren't
effectively brand new. And of course the ones which escape the charge
are precisely the generation where some manufacturers were recently
caught fiddling the testing.

If they were genuinely wanting this charge to persuade people to buy/use
less-polluting vehicles, it should have been set for diesels at the
previous 2009 Euro-5 standard, because not everyone can afford to scrap
their three year old car.

Yes, this is turning into a hefty stealth tax, affecting far more vehicles
and their owners than was previously recognised. As you say, other than the
newest models, practically all diesels would incur the daily tax. He'll
certainly be voted out if he doesn't back down in some way (either delay
it, have more exceptions, or focus only on much older vericles).

Even though I almost never drive inside the North and South Circulars these
days, I realise that the dealer that services my car is just inside it.
That would mean 2-3 days @ £12.50 a day would be incurred any time it needs
work, including the annual service.