Thursday 30th September 2004

Lib Dems plan to ban 'high emission' vehicles

Motoring enthusiasts could be at risk

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If you doubted that banning certain types of car is not the way forward for enthusiastic motoring, then speeches at the recent Liberal Democrat party conference should settle the matter once and for all. The party has pledged to tax 4x4s off the road but, as their spokesperson admitted, they're using it as a catch-all to mean all high-emission cars. That could mean you.

"Chelsea tractors can expect to pay more: they are not environmental", said party chairman Matthew Taylor, and the plan is to push people onto public transport and/or more efficient cars. Maybe drivers in rural areas would pay less or get an exemption -- the LibDems didn't say.

In terms of implementation, the party is talking of overhauling the whole tax and licensing system. This will involve using satellite tracking technology which, tied to a database containing car type and emissions information, would allow the individual driver to be taxed according to road type, speed, and emissions.

However, assuming the party actually gets its hands on the levers of power, there's always going to be a practical limit on the what any party can do for good solid political reasons. The Tories found this out over the poll tax, Labour over fuel tax. The LibDems may need to learn this lesson.

 

[Don]

Yes they are mad.

Always thought so. Yet more proof...

Luckily they'll never get into power so we won't have to put up with the unmitigated disaster they'd be...

[911nutter]

these muppets can say what they want. they'll never get in so it really doesn't matter.

claptrap stuff and nonsense. they get far to much airtime.

[nonegreen]

We are a war ladies and gentlemen, when are the rest of the people going to realise it?

[swilly]

gotta laugh at the liberals.

They dont know if they are coming or going. They come up with ideas to solves a percieved problem, but which are completely non-implementable.

What defines a 4x4 other than all-wheel drive?

If rural 4x4 drivers ie farmers get a lower tax for using their vehicle in its intended form, do they then have to pay more tax if they pass over an invisible boundary between rural and urban areas?

Fuel efficiency is already taxed in the most efficient way by the tax in fuel itself, (although we suffer gross over taxation at the moment). Therefore inefficient 4x4's and other vehicles that use more fuel already pay more tax.

If you set a boundary within which a vehicle is a 4x4 and due more tax, and outside of it, it isnt, then manufacturers will simply make vehicles that stick outside the boundary.

I reckon the majority of vehicles sold as 4x4's simply arent anyway, they are just big vehicles with possibly all-wheel drive.

[RichB]

Very liberal and democratic of them eh? Rich...

[mondeoman]

and some people want to vote for this shower of shite???

[mybrainhurts]

Eloquently put, sir.

[900T-R]

swilly said:

Fuel efficiency is already taxed in the most efficient way by the tax in fuel itself.

Indeed. That goes for speed restrictions on 'environmental grounds' (quite common argumentation for motorway speed limits over here), too.

[White_van_man]

if they up the tax on cars are they going to drop fuel tax.....
Crazy idea thanfully they will never get voted in

[ATG]

Muppets.

[hendry]

That their spokesman refers to "Chelsea tractors" really shows that this is much about resentment towards people who think differently than creating any better world. There is little doubt that Landcruiser's chuck out crap while being run cold to do the 15 minute school run every morning. So how about spending some time sorting out the education system such that those mums are happy taking kids to the local school and can walk there instead.

[WildfireS3]

And are the Liberal Councillors going to pay for me to scrap my TVR and then buy a more economical euro box at twice the price? I think not.

Good thing they will never get into power.

dictionary said:

Not limited to or by established, traditional, orthodox, or authoritarian attitudes, views, or dogmas; free from bigotry. Favoring proposals for reform, open to new ideas for progress, and tolerant of the ideas and behavior of others; broad-minded

I can definitely see how forcing motorists to be tracked like criminals and banning certain types of cars goe with this.

[ATG]

The Lib Dems will say anything that they think will appeal to the crowd immediately in front of them. They have no ideology or principle.

A lack of ideology isn't always a bad thing. A party can still be succesful by being pragmatic and being effective administrators (for example early New Labour govt, and first two terms of the last Tory administration). However the Lib Dems show no sign of pragmatism, common sense or competence of any kind either.

[lanciachris]

So, yet another reason to just do the whole defacing the voting card. Is there any party out there that has an ounce of common sense?

[cdp]

Trouble is if we get a hung parliment, they might "get in" by being the smallest party who can decide the election. That's why their so desparate for PR (until UKIP demoted them to 4th place )

Liberal Democrats : A bunch of biggots who want to get the electorate out of the system.

High Emissions Vehicle : Bus?

In my experience buses seem to be about the worst polluters as they are run to a ripe old age and nobody checks (or cares about) their emissions. A visions that sticks in my mind is following a clould of black smoke being produced by a bus sporting the message "Be Green, Go By Bus"....

[zebedee]

very liberal.

cocks.

[dougbarker]

Are they going to get rid of old crap buses then? They pump out god knows what.

Why don't they realise if they made incentives for people to get rid of their clapped-out metros/fiestas etc that you can reduce emissions easily? Fifteen years ago emissions from engines were much higher.

[count duckula]

drivel said:

would allow the individual driver to be taxed according to road type, speed, and emissions.

Labour already tax people according to speed, £60 and 3 pts.



Malc

[Apache]

"There's always going to be a practical limit on the what any party can do for good solid political reasons.

The Tories found this out over the poll tax,
Labour over fuel tax.
LibDems may need to learn this lesson".


Really?, we pay record breaking amounts of poll tax and we pay more now than we ever did for fuel. What lesson is that exactly?

Thatcher got the boot, we still got the tax, Labour took fuel protests on and we still pay the tax.

nonegreen is correct, but wtf, who cares eh?

>> Edited by Apache on Thursday 30th September 11:44

[bigjimmy]

I hope this includes busses with only one or two people on as well.