Boris Johnson - WTF is he smoking?

[MarshPhantom]

No thread on this yet? Boris, from hero to zero.

Ultra Low Emission Zone.

He has announced plans today for Central London (congestion charge zone) to only be accessible by Zero or Low Emission (hybrid) vehicles from 2020.

Even the BBC seem shocked.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-214434...

[MarshPhantom]

This appears to be an extension of the Low Emission Zone scheme, non-compliant vehicles are currently subject to a £100 charge per day, or a £500 fine for not paying.

[MarshPhantom]

It is ironic that Boris is making Livingstone look like the motorist's friend.

[MarshPhantom]

bobbylondonuk said:

BoJo is trying to get all public transport to go all electric and keep the private vehicles out of london as much as possible. The current congestion charge (nothing to do with congestion) exemption limits have incentivised people to buy hybrids and diesels and still drive into london for free.

The only way to reduce traffic and pollution is to reduce the levels of free entry. its not rocket science. Yes that means all of us will be screwed over. But what other alternate plan is there to reducetraffic and pollution in london?

Why does traffic and pollution need reducing? Anyone who thinks London is more polluted than it used to be is wrong.

[MarshPhantom]

DJRC said:

I have 2 thoughts on this:

1. I kinda like the idea of a less polluted central London and a less car friendly zone. Not very ph, but true Im afraid. Frankly I fking loathe cars in the town traffic yes, private cars no. Lived around the area for 10yrs, never needed a car once in the place, in fact I always point blank resisted driving into London. Train and tube only.

2. Nobody else but me think its bloody unlikely BoJo will still be Mayor in 2020?

So you live in Central London and don't need a car so nobody should be able to drive in London.

Slightly warped logic isn't it?

[MarshPhantom]

DJRC said:

MarshPhantom said:

DJRC said:

I have 2 thoughts on this:

1. I kinda like the idea of a less polluted central London and a less car friendly zone. Not very ph, but true Im afraid. Frankly I fking loathe cars in the town traffic yes, private cars no. Lived around the area for 10yrs, never needed a car once in the place, in fact I always point blank resisted driving into London. Train and tube only.

2. Nobody else but me think its bloody unlikely BoJo will still be Mayor in 2020?

So you live in Central London and don't need a car so nobody should be able to drive in London.

Slightly warped logic isn't it?

Nope, I lived around the place. I do though do city living out here. Drove the car into town once here...absolute disaster and that was on a Sunday and it was deserted, dead!

Cars in the centre of cities almost never make them a better place. Actually lets turn that round, car free town/city centres are infinately better places to spend time as a human being.

Commercial traffic needs to be there, private rarely does. A decent urban transport system should be able to take care of private needs. It does elsewhere quite efficiently.

My point was that just because you don't need a car it doesn't mean other people don't. I don't need a car to get around my local area, everything I need is in walking distance, should we ban cars there too?

Re. car free towns being better, I couldn't disagree more. The grimmest places I can think of have pedestrianised town centres. Cars bring people and life to a city.

[MarshPhantom]

Devil2575 said:

My Brother in law lives in a appartment in central London and he sold his car a long time ago.

Good for him. Is he a lentilist like yourself?

Why can you not see that this isn't just about the needs of people who live in Central London?

[MarshPhantom]

turbobloke said:

youngsyr said:

Don't blame Boris, blame the EU - London faces £300m of fines for poor air quality, this is one measure to try to avoid having to pay them:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/11/...

Indeed as per my post ar 1132 hrs this morning

There are many ways to skin a cat, nobody forced Boris to come up with this ludicrous plan.

[MarshPhantom]

youngsyr said:

MarshPhantom said:

turbobloke said:

youngsyr said:

Don't blame Boris, blame the EU - London faces £300m of fines for poor air quality, this is one measure to try to avoid having to pay them:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/11/...

Indeed as per my post ar 1132 hrs this morning

There are many ways to skin a cat, nobody forced Boris to come up with this ludicrous plan.

If there are "many", let's hear a couple?

Diesel engines are the problem so ban those at peak times.

Significant increase to the cost of the Congestion Charge, with no discount for those living inside the zone.

Option 3, pay the fine. £300 million is a small price to pay for dignity.

Edited by MarshPhantom on Thursday 14th February 18:18

[MarshPhantom]

youngsyr said:

MarshPhantom said:

youngsyr said:

MarshPhantom said:

turbobloke said:

youngsyr said:

Don't blame Boris, blame the EU - London faces £300m of fines for poor air quality, this is one measure to try to avoid having to pay them:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/mar/11/...

Indeed as per my post ar 1132 hrs this morning

There are many ways to skin a cat, nobody forced Boris to come up with this ludicrous plan.

If there are "many", let's hear a couple?

Diesel engines are the problem so ban those at peak times.

Significant increase to the cost of the Congestion Charge, with no discount for those living inside the zone.

Option 3, pay the fine. £300 million is a small price to pay for dignity.

You want to ban buses and taxis in central London at peak times? Or are you just talking about banning private diesel vehicles? If the latter, they must be a fraction of the amount of diesel engined vehicles on the roads of at peak times?

The congestion charge only affects a very small area of London - basically the City plus the West End and a little bit south of the river. I doubt reducing traffic in these areas beyond the already taxed levels will have a significant impact on air quality across London, and what will happen to all those journeys - do they just disappear, or do they place strain on the already creaking public transport infrastructure?

As for £300m in fines being a small price to pay, it's 15% of TFL's 2012/13 Capex budget! And that's just the current amount, I daresay there will be future fines if London continues to fail to meet the requirements.

Boris is going to permanently ban diesels from the congestion charge zone, why is his proposal better than mine? He's also banning petrol engines too, which aren't really a problem.

Boris's plans also only cover the existing congestion charge zone, as you said in your post above, reducing emissions in this one small will have a very limited impact on air quality.

Paying the fine was a tongue in cheek suggestion, it's a shame the mayor can't grow some stones and tell them to do one.

I just can't see how a plan that means anyone who may one day have to drive into Central London will have to buy a electric or hybrid vehicle is a good idea.