I don’t know why the ULEZ charge has me so angry, I don’t live in London, but I just have a innate sense of injustice & corruption.
 

There is actual scientific proof that the street air quality in London has improved every single year for some decades now. This is due as we all know to the annual increase on car/truck emissions controls that manufacturers have been mandated annually making fossil fuel vehicles now cleaner than ever.

A TV series called, ‘Secrets of the London Underground’, is spellbinding, showing a myriad of hidden tunnels, WW2 history, developing technologies, and, what they do with the filthy particulate air that emanates from every tunnel.

It also showed me there are mammoth sized ventilation shafts on every underground that simply push the underground air straight up to street level. Pushing dangerous particulates onto the unsuspecting London public. On testing with an Air Quality Index meter inside at street level, measured as, ‘good’ was over 20 times less than down in the underground which was measured as, ‘hazardous’. (You can ‘google’ the actual numerical results on various YouTube sources)

A figure Sadiq Khan is often quoted is that poor air kills 4000 Londoners/year. This is sheer fantasy land. 4000 is a ‘model’ number, kinda like Prof Neil Ferguson predicting that 500,000 would die in UK because of Covid. The 1^st person who has poor air quality  listed as a contributory factor in cause of death, a young girl called Ella who died 10 years ago, with numerous contributory conditions, and whose mum is shamelessly wheeled out on every media circuit in support of ULEZ.  

If Khan was genuinely interested in the health of Londoners, he would do something about the ‘underground’, whose air particulate pollution is a factor of over 20 times higher than that found where all those nasty cars are.

Most now would sense that the ULEZ charge is nothing more than an additional tax on decent law abiding citizens who do not have the cash to donate. Numerous stories now emerging of people that are prevented from working in the ULEZ zones, like care workers who can’t afford the extra £63/week, so those that they currently care for will be neglected, and ultimately die. The true cost of ULEZ. Nurses that can’t afford any longer to work in London hospitals. Typical hard working, ‘white van men’, who will no longer be able to come out and quote for a job. Elderly, and sick who won’t be able to visit a hospital. You just ‘google’ the actual side effects of ULEZ, but common sense will tell you what the effect will be.

Like I said at the start, I don’t even live in London, but the ethos of a man in power, abusing that power, should be shocking for us all. I sincerely hope that Londoners take the opportunity at the next mayoral election to voice what they feel, and depose this maniacal dangerous man. There are candidates that will be running to scrap the extension of the ULEZ zones, and others that promise to abandon ULEZ altogether.

 

Buy a pre 1983, non catalysed, classic car and it'd free.

That's what I'd be doing if I lived in the ULEZ zone.

10 minutes ago, StephenFord said:

A figure Sadiq Khan is often quoted is that poor air kills 4000 Londoners/year. This is sheer fantasy land. 4000 is a ‘model’ number, kinda like Prof Neil Ferguson predicting that 500,000 would die in UK because of Covid. The 1^st person who has poor air quality  listed as a contributory factor in cause of death, a young girl called Ella who died 10 years ago, with numerous contributory conditions, and whose mum is shamelessly wheeled out on every media circuit in support of ULEZ.  

If Khan was genuinely interested in the health of Londoners, he would do something about the ‘underground’, whose air particulate pollution is a factor of over 20 times higher than that found where all those nasty cars are.

But, just pay £12.50 per day, then it doesn't matter 

47 minutes ago, DaveT70 said:

Buy a pre 1983, non catalysed, classic car and it'd free.

Now Dave, we've spoken about this before. 'Buying' something is just fine & dandy if you have disposable income to do so. I drive an 18 year old car (ironically ULEZ compliant), not because I love elderly cars, (though I do), but because it was eminently affordable.

I can't just afford on a whim to spend non existent savings on buying something I shouldn't have to buy. Yes, if you have savings/disposable income, all problems can pretty much sorted with buying power.

Even if you have a job, and get a minimal £1400/month net, once you pay mortgage, electric, fuel, car expenses, have 2 x kids and a partner to support, and of course food, you ain't in a very good position to buy any type of car because the mayor says you should...

I agree.

But out of principal, I would use a "dirty" old car, because it's free, to exploit the loophole 

And if you work shifts (or for any reason travel back home in the early hours of the morning), you have to pay double on a night shift - one for each day that you have travelled through the zone. I am sure that each camera capture is time-stamped as well as date stamped, so it would be easy to programme the charging system to charge "per 24 hr period" which would be fairer rather than the existing "per calendar day".

6 hours ago, DaveT70 said:

Buy a pre 1983, non catalysed, classic car and it'd free.

I have one of these, but by the time I've driven TO the ULEZ zone, through it, and back home again at 25mpg, it would cost £12.50 more in fuel than my non-compliant diesel car does! 

12 minutes ago, alanfp said:

And if you work shifts (or for any reason travel back home in the early hours of the morning), you have to pay double on a night shift - one for each day that you have travelled through the zone. I am sure that each camera capture is time-stamped as well as date stamped, so it would be easy to programme the charging system to charge "per 24 hr period" which would be fairer rather than the existing "per calendar day".

That's appalling! I never knew it worked like that. I have no idea how ordinary folk will cope with all this...

Topically, this story is running in various media today:

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12425109/Sadiq-Khans-office-silence-scientists-Mayor-Londons-ambitious-Ulez-plans-little-impact-pollution.html

Tank rides through London and dodges ULEZ with simple loophole

https://uk.yahoo.com/news/tank-rides-london-dodges-ulez-104249565.html

https://uk.yahoo.com/style/londoners-buy-classic-cars-dodge-120321951.html

Londoners buy up classic cars to dodge Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion

3 hours ago, eddie eastwood said:

https://uk.yahoo.com/style/londoners-buy-classic-cars-dodge-120321951.html

Londoners buy up classic cars to dodge Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion

Anyone want to buy my ULEZ exempt 2005 Focus? Much cheapness!  😃

8 hours ago, Turvey said:

Anyone want to buy my ULEZ exempt 2005 Focus? Much cheapness!  😃

It surprises me that my own 2005 LX Focus is ULEZ compliant. Not for sale though 😁

Khan's deputy urged scientists to alter study...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/22/shirley-rodrigues-urged-scientists-alter-study-low-emission/

Khan tried to ‘silence’ scientists who questioned Ulez...

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2023/08/19/khan-tried-silence-scientists-questioned-ulez-claims/

It's all kicking off now in advance of the ULEZ extension start date. It's reported that numerous cameras have now been destroyed by militant action groups against it, of course, I won't condone law breaking, but - great job guys!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66535086

I'm sure sure since Khan got in as Mayor the air quality would have got worse.

He introduced extra bike lanes, which were originally roads, so now some roads are 1 lane instead of 2 (for example A501 main route from west to the city) and this is causing more congestion and queuing.

Also introduced 20mph all over London.

Now seems to take me 50% longer to get anywhere in London. 

Had to upgrade my car 3 years ago due to regular work in the old ULEZ zone.

On 8/24/2023 at 7:17 AM, StephenFord said:

It surprises me that my own 2005 LX Focus is ULEZ compliant. Not for sale though 😁

Can't imagine anyone from London would want to  buy it but for the right money I would drive mine down and deliver it personally 😃

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2023/08/28/ulez-signs-could-be-unlawful-tribunal-ruling-london/

 

I agree with this comment.