congestion charge for 4x4's

[GBMUD]

Is it me or are 200 & 300 TDI engines not listed for Defenders on that site?

Older cars never had a carbon emissions rating, it is only for vehicles made/registered after, IIRC, 2000. I assume, as with VED, that older cars will remain at the £8 level.

Chris

[general-confusion]

I Laugh every time there is talk of extending / increasing the congestion charge. As a builder that does office refurbishment I spend all of my time working in London and if I quote a job within the conjestion charge zone I add £13 per day per vehicle to the job (£8 charge +£5 for me doing it).The only people that suffer because of the charge are the people that need goods and services in the zone. AND THEY ARE THE IDIOTS THAT VOTED RED KEN IN NOT ONCE BUT TWICE !!

[dred90]

There is no need to drive into the center of London in any vehicle unless it's for business use, taking the tube/bus tio and from work is much quicker and less stressfull. Congestion charge is the only way of managing vehicle numbers within the city, otherwise there'd be gridlock and both road users and pedestrians lose out.

[Troddenmasses]

therwise there'd be gridlock and both road users and pedestrians lose out.

There already is gridlock in some parts of London - it affected people's thinking for a few weeks, then things went back to the way they were already

Congestion charge is the only way of managing vehicle numbers within the city

Nope - it is just another tax on living/working in London. House prices in the South East are higher than most of the rest of the world only because people there are willing to pay that amount, just as people will be willing to pay a congestion charge even if it went up to £50. All that would happen is that every business requiring access to that part of London would increase it's prices so that they don't lose out. All it will do is increase inflation a little.

[Guest MJG]

There is no need to drive into the center of London in any vehicle unless it's for business use,

Utter Boll..... er round spherical objects.

What about a young parent with all the garb and equipment required in tow, or the need to take an elderly parent (not registered disabled) into town......public transport just does not suit every sceanario.

Yet again Red Ken treats with utter old labour contempt, the trodden masses.... he's won........ the sooner every body realises this the better. Lets all just give up roll over and die.......

Or we could start a revolution.....

Woops watch out I'll be locked up for inciting action against our beloved govt......no worries I'll just don me veil and all will OK.

[dred90]

There already is gridlock in some parts of London - it affected people's thinking for a few weeks, then things went back to the way they were already

Nope - it is just another tax on living/working in London. House prices in the South East are higher than most of the rest of the world only because people there are willing to pay that amount, just as people will be willing to pay a congestion charge even if it went up to £50. All that would happen is that every business requiring access to that part of London would increase it's prices so that they don't lose out. All it will do is increase inflation a little.

In my experience (biking into the west end day in day out) traffic levels have dropped since the congestion charges inception.

Of course businesses will just adjust their prices, but some businesses will be able to make large cost savings every year by only going into the zone after 7 at night or before 7 in the morning, increasing profitability. Besides the charge is really aimed at those who drive around needlessly in the zone in oversized vehicles which belong on fast motorways racetracks or in the mud!!

[Corrode Finger]

Its slighty "amusing", that Mr Livingstone is so against 'big gas guzzlers', especially (if my memory serves me correctly) as he owns/ has access to a large car himself.

I believe that he has a 15ft plus Skoda Superb 2.8 V6 petrol!!

Ok, not the biggest 'gas guzzler', but very typical of the two faced them and us that pervades the powers that be.

As the congestion is partly caused by large vehicles you would have thought that cities would welcome LR90's etc, especially as they are shorter than the new mini, therefore causing shorter jams!!

Just a cynical view, from a landy builder, but thats what this is for!

Equally, as quoted earlier, the increased congestion charge is likely to only affect cars newer than 2000, when the emission levels were introduced, therefore loads of old V8 Rangeys and 'dirty tdi's' will happily be able to swan around the capital for the normal £8 charge.

Why buy a new car and get caught up in the hamster wheel of punitive pushiment, landys are perfect for being kept on the road, and if they cant tax older trucks in the same way that they can not hit vehicles with the new VED, all old school landys will be laughing in a few years?

[dred90]

What about a young parent with all the garb and equipment required in tow, or the need to take an elderly parent (not registered disabled) into town......public transport just does not suit every sceanario.

I assume you have used buses and tubes in london on a frequent basis?

Why ever would you want to take an elderly parent into center of london - it's no place for the frail I'm afraid

[Holyzeus]

In my experience (biking into the west end day in day out) traffic levels have dropped since the congestion charges inception.

by only going into the zone after 7 at night or before 7 in the morning, increasing profitability.

???? oh yeah loads of companies can/could do this, who are they gonna deliver to or work at?

are you red Ken's mum or something?

[Andy]

I assume you have used buses and tubes in london on a frequent basis?

Why ever would you want to take an elderly parent into center of london - it's no place for the frail I'm afraid

for a show? the whole tourist thing? cant remember where the charge starts north of the river, but isnt a lot of oxford street included? should make a fourtune out of xmas shoppers.

personnaly if i never went to london agian it'd be too soon. its a nasty horrid place with nothing to attract me, however i get sent there a lot for work & detest it every time.

[Steve King]

I Laugh every time there is talk of extending / increasing the congestion charge. As a builder that does office refurbishment I spend all of my time working in London and if I quote a job within the conjestion charge zone I add £13 per day per vehicle to the job (£8 charge +£5 for me doing it).The only people that suffer because of the charge are the people that need goods and services in the zone. AND THEY ARE THE IDIOTS THAT VOTED RED KEN IN NOT ONCE BUT TWICE !!

Not quite as clear cut as that I'm afraid! I live about ½ mile from Pentoville Road which is a border of the charging zone.

My local trusted, friendly, family run garage is just the other side of Pentonville Road!

I always walk to work, but if I deicde to visit friends or family the other side of London on a weekday whilst on annual leave I have to either get up very early or go flamin' miles east or west to get to the M25 (my least favourite motorway!)

Ah Bo££ocks to it I'll sell up and move out of London next year! The local council are threatening to follow Richmond and increase the parking permit fee for "gas guzzlers" anyway and at the moment it's £95 a year!

[dred90]

???? oh yeah loads of companies can/could do this, who are they gonna deliver to or work at?

are you red Ken's mum or something?

Not everyone works 9-5 sunshine, in fact a lot of businesses particularly the big ones are 24 hour operations..

[Guest MJG]

I assume you have used buses and tubes in london on a frequent basis?

Errr yes - your point is?????

Why ever would you want to take an elderly parent into center of london - it's no place for the frail I'm afraid

I don't know hospital appointment perhaps.....something like that.

[GBMUD]

Not everyone works 9-5 sunshine, in fact a lot of businesses particularly the big ones are 24 hour operations..

Experience from some years spent as a white van man visiting London on a regular (3+ times a week) basis; true, lots of the big offices in The City and elsewhere in London do have 24h delivery bays which is great, you can get in and out quickly with no messing at any hour of the night. Sadly, this is by no means universal. There are lots of smaller offices, council yards, schools, social clubs, shops, factories, etc. etc. who, sadly, cannot afford to have a 24h presence. If you happen to work for a company delivering to a variety of different premises and business types, going in and out very early is just not an option.

Chris

[dred90]

At the end of the day, London is a massively overcrowded hellhole, which at its epicentre can be extremely nauseating particularly when driving in, the congestion charge was brought about to try and alleviate this to an extent. If anyone has a better idea on how to deal with this problem then lets hear it. If you've bought a landie to do your weekly shop on oxford street like some on here appear to have then you need your head examining..

[Steve King]

At the end of the day, London is a massively overcrowded hellhole, which at its epicentre can be extremely nauseating particularly when driving in, the congestion charge was brought about to try and alleviate this to an extent. If anyone has a better idea on how to deal with this problem then lets hear it. If you've bought a landie to do your weekly shop on oxford street like some on here appear to have then you need your head examining..

Walthamstow isn't that great congestion wise either is it?!

OK my Landy does get used for shopping, but with the Resident's Parking Zone it is a case of one car per household only. It's a case of either a Eurobox or a Landy. The Landy wins hands down because of my hobbies and interests particularly as I rarely use my Defender during the week.

My Defender is used regularly offroad (relative owns a large woodland in Sussex), for laning and also for negotiating some rather boggy farm tracks to access some particularly nice fishing places on my favourite barbel fishing river.

I may live pretty close to the centre of London, but I do have valid reasons for owning my Defender!!

I do hope to move next year to rid me of ths crippling mortgage as much as anything, moving away from the congestion charge and residents parking zone will be added bonuses!!

Steve

[Bomag]

Last night I went to Shepherds Bush Empire with a mate, he lives in Walton, I live in Chertsey.

To get there by public transport is a nightmare, many bus rides, a train, then two different tube lines (this assumes nothing is cancelled or delayed meaning you miss the connection) The whole journey would have taken over 2 hours each way and cost £20+ each.

So we drove, in my GTi, it took less than an hour to get there, we parked 200yds from the gig and then got home in less than 40 minutes.

This is the reason people drive into town, Red Ken's public transport is pants.

As for the charging, how does it effect Tax Exempt (historic) vehicles?

[Anglo-Frenchman]

The more I read in the papers and see on sky about congestion charges etc in the UK the more convinced I am that I made the right move to France where there is no road tax, MOTs are valid two years and the roads are empty! Vive la France! Mind you, the taxation is crippling so it's not all roses!

[Guest diesel_jim]

Yeah, i fancy moving to southern spain, but i think the grass is always greener on the other side! i bet there's things there that would p!$$ me off too!

[Paul64]

The more I read in the papers and see on sky about congestion charges etc in the UK the more convinced I am that I made the right move to France where there is no road tax, MOTs are valid two years and the roads are empty! Vive la France! Mind you, the taxation is crippling so it's not all roses!

How are you getting on with the French lingo? My German is terrible. My wife only needs to hear a word once and she can retain it. I need to hear it for about three years, and needs to be related to food or beer before it sinks in!

[Guest MJG]

Mind you, the taxation is crippling so it's not all roses!

Be interested to hear more on this - do you mean general taxation - local (as in equivalent to our council tax) - we have considered a move to France to "live the dream" so we appreciate more info....

Cheers,

[TheRecklessEngineer]

Greece! Spent the summer there. Awesome place - although I cant comment on any taxes as I was working for a British company.

[martyn668]

Followed the link on page 2 of this thread.

London taxis pollute more than a Td5 90....

I know they won't payy the charge, and they won't be banned, and it isn't fair, etc. etc. but I just can't get my head round the whole thing.

Probably means if they put out more CO2 than a Landy they are due for a major redesign, but it is weird isn't it?

[LR90]

Welcome Martyn

[martyn668]

Thanks LR90,

I've been struggling to get on for a while, as I have an old registration which I couldn't revive, and it wouldn't let me get back on, as it kept half-recognising me. Managed now - new profile. Been reading for years, but the Red Ken thing got me wound up enough to crack the log on thing again.