Better get that central London to Brighton event done soon then!
Here is their helpful advice
We expect that most vehicles will already meet the required emission standard by the time ULEZ standards are introduced from 7 September 2020. People will have at least five years to arrange to upgrade or switch to a vehicle which meets the emission standards.
If your vehicle does not meet the ULEZ standards you can:
Switch to a vehicle which meets the ULEZ standards for journeys in the zone
Re-route journeys to avoid the zone
Make your journey by public transport, walking or cycling
Pay the ULEZ daily charge
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The irony being that if you junk your 97% NO2 reducing cat equipped 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s car and get a pre-1973 car with no cat at all - then you are exempt.
Yes it would be a lot better just to keep the air quality poor and let those with breathing problems and new ones due to the continuing poor air quality suffer.
Much more important to have the right to drive cars through congested city’s.
I understand your position now. The fact that your lungs were ok 30 years ago in London is thanks of course to the Clean Air Act, an Act that was fiercely resisted by the government of the day.
I can’t see the logic of this. Either something is harmful and you ban it, or it is not harmful and you allow it. Allowing something which you say is harmful, but charging people for doing it, seems to be a little hypocritical. A bit like allowing a factory to pollute a stream and kill all the fish, provided that they pay you the appropriate Fish Mortality Levy.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my clean air (one of the reasons I live out in the sticks) and I lived in Leeds before and after the Clean Air Acts, and saw the city transformed. But all this smacks of money-making rather than environmental stewardship.
Of course, for those with plenty of money, none of this makes the slightest difference. I can remember visiting central London with my brother-in-law (a Londoner, and quite wealthy) just after the introduction of the congestion charge. The streets at 9 pm were eerily quiet, with just a few private cars around. He took my arm, waved at the scene, and said “I love this - roads for the rich!”
Sorry Guys. I used to live in London until the early 90’s, nearly 30 years. I did not know that the orange summer sky we used to sit under in the evening for dinner and a few drinks after work was wrong. Moved to Suffolk and we had blue skies not smog. I worked in Shanghai for a while and every one accepted the white haze as normal not smog. I am totally against charging for roads but I can see why people want to have blue skies and clean air.
The congestion charge isn’t in effect at 9pm and the streets are as busy as ever. The congestion charge hasn’t affected evening traffic at all. It’s done little to reduce daytime traffic, but every little helps. It has however raised a lot of money which is being spent improving Londons public transport and roads. Air quality in London is amongst the worst in the world, anything and everything should be done to improve it.
Some of you may remember the smog of the 60’s, now that was real pollution.
Always wondered what levels of pollution are coming from diesel powered London buses and London Taxis (irony again TaxiD), perhaps Boris will fine them as well.
unfortuately I can only drive what’s available,and I’m sure I’ll pay dearly for cleaner air. They’ve been cleaning up taxi emissions for 10 or more years and the small changes are costing a fortune. It’s time for big changes, and they’re coming. I’ll suffer the cost and breath easier