Forum Topic

Diesel Outrage

Sneakily in last weeks edition of Ealing Gazette, Westminster Council hourly pay to park FROM £4.90 TO £7.35!!!a 3inch by 4inch advert legally advising diesel motorists of certain age, they are being shafted.Not long until Ealing & all the other councils follow suit.COUNCILS & TFL CAUSE CONGESTION/POLLUTION

Peter Yale ● 3246d23 Comments

Nobody in any position of authority is suggesting the current EU limits should be abandoned. In fact, for all the Government's air quality plan has been criticised it looks as though standards will rise.

Andy Jones ● 3196d

So is it proposed that legal limits for pollutants in the air are to be raised when we leave the EU?

Helena Cavanagh ● 3196d

Andy,This is all to plecate the E.U,and we cower down to bow down to them,regards John.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3198d

By the time the ULEZ is implemented other vehicle types will have probably lost their exemption including older petrol vehicles. Once the ownership of electric cars reaches about 20% they will be looking to make every journey within the north and south circular by a combustion engine chargeable. So even if you have a newer diesel or a petrol car the reprieve will only be temporary but introducing the charge for a minority of motorists initially allows them to put in the infrastructure to tax all drivers.

Andy Jones ● 3209d

Thanks Andy. That has cleared that up. The way it had been explained to me previously did seem wrong.

Helena Cavanagh ● 3213d

Don't think it is correct to say that the rules are encouraging people to buy larger cars. Ammonia is the output of the tanks that is put in diesel cars. What you put into the them is urea. They are need to ensure larger diesel cars comply with Euro Standard 6 but all diesels that meet this standard will be exempt.

Andy Jones ● 3215d

Someone I work with recently bought a new car which he says will be exempt from the extra charges. It is a huge vehicle and a diesel but has an ammonia tank which is used to reduce NOx emissions. Only very large cars have the space to add the extra tank. Although it will emit less NOx it will pump out more of everything else and is obviously not very fuel efficient due to its size.So the message from government now seems to be - if you want to help the environment, buy a bigger car.

Helena Cavanagh ● 3219d

I don't agree with the inclusion of diesel cars in the ULEZ or charging them extra for parking permits but an elected Mayor certainly has both the right and the responsibility to enact measures that he feels will improve our air quality. The ULEZ was initiated by Boris Johnson and I would anticipate that the main candidates in the next Mayoral election will not be standing on a platform of scrapping the scheme.

Andy Jones ● 3221d

Andy,This is the outrage,we live in a democracy,this is against our rights,there is little or nothing wrong with the cars they wish to ban,some people cannot afford to replace  them just like that,i for one will not be voting for this London mayor again?regards John.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3221d

To be fair to the Mayor his ULEZ is not a blanket ban on diesels like that being introduced by some councils. He is not charging extra for the latest standard diesel and owners of older ones will have three years to change their car.Also a lot of effort is going in to cleaning up the bus fleet which will probably do much more to improve air quality than reducing the number of diesel cars.

Andy Jones ● 3221d

Andy,My vehicle is fitted with a filter,passes its MOT,why am i like many more being hounded,HMG AND THE LONDON MAYOR SHOULD BE SENIBLE AND GET REAL ON THIS SUBJECT.regards John.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3224d

The actual harm done by NOx is still being debated. The EU target it because it is a marker for other sort of air pollution which we know to be harmful such as fine particulates.The problem with targeting diesel cars is that they have filters which take out most of the particulates. Buses and goods vehicles don't have filters that are effective. So you may reduce NOx emissions but see no health benefits whatsoever but you will see an increase in carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions. The lower levels of these emitted by diesel cars was the reason we were initially encouraged to buy them.

Andy Jones ● 3225d

It won't have but it meant that the Chinese Olympics weren't boycotted by the rest of the world.China has again reduced the plastic waste acceptable for import.  We need to deal with our own.

Philippa Bond ● 3225d

Yes but when these extra cabs are pushing out diesel the electric capabilities count for nothing. Another source of diesel are the trains at paddington waiting to leave with their engines running.

Peter Chadburn ● 3232d

Vote them all out,including the London Mayor.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3232d

With an Olympics in your own country perhaps twice in a lifetime not sure quite how the closure of factories for a few weeks helped the local Chinese people long term.

Philip Coe ● 3232d

Our air pollution is so bad that the UK government has been lobbying the EU to reduce the EU allowable emission figures. Many car companies were - maybe still are - cheating on their car emission figures.  These emissions are quite a pain for marketing...  but much much worse for those with breathing problems.http://www.europeanlung.org/assets/files/en/publications/outdoor-pollution-en.pdfWe don't want to end up like China where they had to close factories to make the Olympics possible.

Philippa Bond ● 3232d

A large increase in minicabs certainly but a large number are relatively fuel efficient, and low emissions - typically the Toyota Prius.A big culprit must be the huge increase in internet shopping with home deliveries by assorted companies generally using diesel powered transit vans or equivalent.  Must be dozens a day in my road compared to one Royal Mail van a day before deliveries were deregulated.  Apart from the pollution aspect it also seems terribly inefficient in terms of labour and resources.

Philip Coe ● 3233d

Pollution is awful once you get closer to central London. Initially the Congestion charge appeared to make central London Cleaner, but when the Kensington extension occurred it appeared that suddenly Central London was deluged with big gas guzzlers. Then also we have had a vast increase in minicabs in recent years. Also Road design in Central London means that Traffic Light phasing encourages gridlock. Another thing also is the vast construction projects such as crossrail also mean endless lorries. Then we have the buses all stuck in gridlock churning out filth. So now even i with a good lung capacity can taste the filth in central london. So yes definitely a money making option. But what can be done?We need a cleaner city for our health!!

Peter Chadburn ● 3233d

We are being taken for a ride here,this problem is a money making racket,things are not that bad with pollution.

Dr John Stolworthy D.Sc ● 3233d

Are you saying Westminster Council put the notice in an Ealing newspaper so that people wouldn't see it?Also isn't this going to be a double charge because they are going to introduce a premium for vehicles within the congestion charge zone which covers lots of Westminster.The majority of people who would drive a diesel vehicle into this area would be trades people and minicab drivers. In an area of such wealth it seems grossly unfair to introduce taxes that fall mainly on people on lower incomes.

Helena Cavanagh ● 3234d

I presume that it is the official notice related to this well publicised trialhttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-38782211

Paul Webster ● 3244d

I've read this a few times now and I still don't get it.Can you clarify?

Paul James ● 3244d