Boris Johnson announces plans for Ultra Low Emission Zone
Discussion
This just takes the piss imo. They wonder why there is a recession, with all these stupid eco f
kwits. These things cost mega money. It was bad enough with the LEZ, now this. You would soon have to be a millionaire to live in London, its a joke.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-214434...
Boris Johnson announces plans for Ultra Low Emission Zone
Only zero and low-emission vehicles would be allowed in the central London zone by 2020
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Poor air blamed over city deaths
London's clue to stubborn ozone
Legacy of London's Great Smog
London could have the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone, according to Mayor Boris Johnson who has announced plans to improve air quality.
Only zero and low-emission vehicles would be allowed in the central London zone by 2020, said Mr Johnson.
The AA said it was an ambitious timetable and that the practical and economic impacts needed to be examined.
Clean Air In London said it was a wish list Mr Johnson wants others to do as he would only be mayor until 2016.
London is among the worst in Europe for air pollution.
Environmental Organisation ClientEarth has warned that in terms of European Union rules, London will have "illegal levels of air pollution until 2025".
A London Assembly report last December found that 9% of deaths in the city were down to air pollution.
In a speech to City Hall, Mr Johnson said: "Creating the world's first big city ultra low emission zone has the potential to be a game changing moment in the quality of life of our great capital.
Continue reading the main story
Analysis
Tom Edwards
Transport correspondent, London
Poor air quality kills over 4,000 Londoners a year prematurely and many believe it is one of the largest public health crises facing the capital.
The mayor has tried to cut pollution with cleaner buses, dust suppressors and green walls but London still breaches European limits.
And that means large EU fines loom. There are also court cases ongoing with the government under pressure to show it's cleaning up our air.
The authorities here are trying to show they are taking action.
The question is will this idea of an ultra low emission zone in 2020 be enough?
Legislation is already to an extent cleaning up cars and HGVs.
Hauliers have welcomed dropping stricter Euro IV limits on HGVs.
But campaigners are really angry saying that is a backwards step.
What is really striking is the lack of any detail.
Transport for London has not even a timeline on a consultation and has not appointed any staff to look at this yet - so this is very early days.
Environmental lawyers currently taking the government to court over air quality say this is nothing more than a PR stunt. Without details it's difficult to know.
Read more from Tom
"My vision is a central zone where almost all the vehicles running during working hours are either zero or low emission.
"This would deliver incredible benefits in air quality and stimulate the delivery and mass use of low emission technology."
'Ducking responsibility'
City Hall said the mayor recognised that more work was required and believes his proposal would act as a challenge for vehicle manufacturers to ensure more affordable and low-emission technologies were in place.
Simon Birkett from Clean Air In London said the timescale was far too long and that it would only cover the central Congestion Zone.
"It's the biggest public health risk after smoking and we need bold action - he should have been starting on this in 2008 need bold action in two or three years, not seven or eight," he added.
Jenny Jones, the Green Party's London Assembly member, said the scheme was first put to the mayor by the Assembly in 2009.
She added that London had been in breach of European guidelines for pollutant nitrogen dioxide since 2010.
"This is excellent news for Londoners' health, but leaving it as a project for the next mayor to deliver is a way of ducking responsibility for the problems we're facing now," she said.
'Backward step'
A spokesman for the AA said it was a tight timetable and questioned what impact this would have on police cars, ambulances, fire engines and vehicles used for essential deliveries.
He added that decisions made now would be affected by this change such as companies buying a fleet of taxis would need to know if the vehicles would not be allowed in the zone in seven years.
The mayor also announced that phase five of the Low Emission Zone would now only apply to TfL buses, which would save £350m in costs for businesses.
Mr Birkett said this was a backward step, especially as the low emission zone was the mayor's own policy.
The mayor also plans to introduce 1,600 hybrid buses by 2016 and a further £20m fund to help boroughs tackle local air quality hotspots.
kwits. These things cost mega money. It was bad enough with the LEZ, now this. You would soon have to be a millionaire to live in London, its a joke.http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-214434...
Boris Johnson announces plans for Ultra Low Emission Zone
Only zero and low-emission vehicles would be allowed in the central London zone by 2020
Continue reading the main story
Related Stories
Poor air blamed over city deaths
London's clue to stubborn ozone
Legacy of London's Great Smog
London could have the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone, according to Mayor Boris Johnson who has announced plans to improve air quality.
Only zero and low-emission vehicles would be allowed in the central London zone by 2020, said Mr Johnson.
The AA said it was an ambitious timetable and that the practical and economic impacts needed to be examined.
Clean Air In London said it was a wish list Mr Johnson wants others to do as he would only be mayor until 2016.
London is among the worst in Europe for air pollution.
Environmental Organisation ClientEarth has warned that in terms of European Union rules, London will have "illegal levels of air pollution until 2025".
A London Assembly report last December found that 9% of deaths in the city were down to air pollution.
In a speech to City Hall, Mr Johnson said: "Creating the world's first big city ultra low emission zone has the potential to be a game changing moment in the quality of life of our great capital.
Continue reading the main story
Analysis
Tom Edwards
Transport correspondent, London
Poor air quality kills over 4,000 Londoners a year prematurely and many believe it is one of the largest public health crises facing the capital.
The mayor has tried to cut pollution with cleaner buses, dust suppressors and green walls but London still breaches European limits.
And that means large EU fines loom. There are also court cases ongoing with the government under pressure to show it's cleaning up our air.
The authorities here are trying to show they are taking action.
The question is will this idea of an ultra low emission zone in 2020 be enough?
Legislation is already to an extent cleaning up cars and HGVs.
Hauliers have welcomed dropping stricter Euro IV limits on HGVs.
But campaigners are really angry saying that is a backwards step.
What is really striking is the lack of any detail.
Transport for London has not even a timeline on a consultation and has not appointed any staff to look at this yet - so this is very early days.
Environmental lawyers currently taking the government to court over air quality say this is nothing more than a PR stunt. Without details it's difficult to know.
Read more from Tom
"My vision is a central zone where almost all the vehicles running during working hours are either zero or low emission.
"This would deliver incredible benefits in air quality and stimulate the delivery and mass use of low emission technology."
'Ducking responsibility'
City Hall said the mayor recognised that more work was required and believes his proposal would act as a challenge for vehicle manufacturers to ensure more affordable and low-emission technologies were in place.
Simon Birkett from Clean Air In London said the timescale was far too long and that it would only cover the central Congestion Zone.
"It's the biggest public health risk after smoking and we need bold action - he should have been starting on this in 2008 need bold action in two or three years, not seven or eight," he added.
Jenny Jones, the Green Party's London Assembly member, said the scheme was first put to the mayor by the Assembly in 2009.
She added that London had been in breach of European guidelines for pollutant nitrogen dioxide since 2010.
"This is excellent news for Londoners' health, but leaving it as a project for the next mayor to deliver is a way of ducking responsibility for the problems we're facing now," she said.
'Backward step'
A spokesman for the AA said it was a tight timetable and questioned what impact this would have on police cars, ambulances, fire engines and vehicles used for essential deliveries.
He added that decisions made now would be affected by this change such as companies buying a fleet of taxis would need to know if the vehicles would not be allowed in the zone in seven years.
The mayor also announced that phase five of the Low Emission Zone would now only apply to TfL buses, which would save £350m in costs for businesses.
Mr Birkett said this was a backward step, especially as the low emission zone was the mayor's own policy.
The mayor also plans to introduce 1,600 hybrid buses by 2016 and a further £20m fund to help boroughs tackle local air quality hotspots.
It will just mean Central London will become a ghost town. Unless you have a very good reason for going nobody will drive their ordinary car there. Retail businesses will close, companies will relocate as their employees will not be able to drive to work. The underground will be unbearably full as those that have to go to the centre have to use it.
The air will be cleaner as there'll be nobody there. These politicians just don't think matters through properly.
Events that used to take place at Alexandra Palace have finished because the traders that went there have vans that do not pass the emission zone regulations.
The air will be cleaner as there'll be nobody there. These politicians just don't think matters through properly.
Events that used to take place at Alexandra Palace have finished because the traders that went there have vans that do not pass the emission zone regulations.
I'm a petrolhead. I own cars that would be banned or penalised in such zones. But I don't object.
We moan about legislation, but Euro V type rules and tough taxation on on higher emissions company cars has forced manufacturers to build some really interesting and efficient cars recently. 875cc cars with 100hp, 1 litre cars with 125hp, 170hp BMWs that do 55mpg etc etc .
Legislation can force innovation and progress.
We moan about legislation, but Euro V type rules and tough taxation on on higher emissions company cars has forced manufacturers to build some really interesting and efficient cars recently. 875cc cars with 100hp, 1 litre cars with 125hp, 170hp BMWs that do 55mpg etc etc .
Legislation can force innovation and progress.
It always makes me laugh when I go through the low emissions zone at Heathrow and there's a 747 overhead . Not much point pretending it's cleaner by banning certain vans and trucks when planes are landing and taking off every minute for hours each day .
Maybe Boris hasn't noticed it's west of London too and that's the general wind direction most days .
Maybe Boris hasn't noticed it's west of London too and that's the general wind direction most days .
I know its an oldish thread but ill add my comments....
OK, make Central London Low emission zone. Are they going to erect a 200000m airtight fence around the zone to stop the crud from outside the zone from coming in?
Are delivery firms, tradesmen just supposed to buy new vehicles JUST for a few square miles?
What fking planet do these people live in FFS
OK, make Central London Low emission zone. Are they going to erect a 200000m airtight fence around the zone to stop the crud from outside the zone from coming in?
Are delivery firms, tradesmen just supposed to buy new vehicles JUST for a few square miles?
What f
king planet do these people live in FFSHave a read of this about the effect of CO2 on the climate
http://principia-scientific.org/supportnews/latest...
http://principia-scientific.org/supportnews/latest...
It's not cars it's busses and taxis pumping out clouds of diesel fumes that are the issue with air-quality in all our cities. Notice they are spouting the usual it will save lives mantra but when was the government ever converned with increasing the quality of everyone's life so they live longer - answer is never!
This is just communism at it's best (or worse) where jealousy is the order of the day, they hate wealth, at least in the masses, and take all measures to suppress it and take it off people, and use it for their own weird social engineering acts. Only the top-level bureaucrackpots will be allowed to pass through the capital in their Zils soon, if you don't believe it look at Russia back in the days of communism this is what happened.
This is just communism at it's best (or worse) where jealousy is the order of the day, they hate wealth, at least in the masses, and take all measures to suppress it and take it off people, and use it for their own weird social engineering acts. Only the top-level bureaucrackpots will be allowed to pass through the capital in their Zils soon, if you don't believe it look at Russia back in the days of communism this is what happened.
deltashad said:
Im very rarely in London. When I am 90 percent of the the time I'm not driving.
No worries here.
That's a really nice way to look at it.No worries here.
I'm never in Bangladesh so should I care about over 1000 people being killed in a factory collapse there over the last couple of weeks?
I actually think this is a good idea. I often have to drive into London in my van, For the central zone I usually go in the middle of the night simply because it's easier, cheaper, faster and a lot less aggravation.
Really, the only thing this will prove is that all the people that pay the congestion charge in their vehicles will now use the A501 and the other circular roads, increasing congestion and pollution outside of central, with the addition that TFL and the Mayor will lose even more revenue from the congestion charge.
I wonder which other capital cities in europe have the same or higher level of pollution than London.
Really, the only thing this will prove is that all the people that pay the congestion charge in their vehicles will now use the A501 and the other circular roads, increasing congestion and pollution outside of central, with the addition that TFL and the Mayor will lose even more revenue from the congestion charge.
I wonder which other capital cities in europe have the same or higher level of pollution than London.
When we hadn't had rain for a few weeks, the road surface was covered in matt black soot with tyre tracks through it on the off-side wherever buses pull off, eg bus stops and junctions. That shows where all the emissions come from, despite the fleet being relativly new and probably all EUIV emmission regime or newer.
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