To wonder what all the fuss is about ULEZ

[Winterday1991]

Hardly anyone is affected, only if you have a very old car. No, you should not be free to pollute the air by driving around in a polluting vehicle and so should have to pay a penalty to do so.

It annoys me as everyone agrees we need to tackle climate change, but no one wants the hit on their life/ change their lifestyles.

It is based on emissions and not the age of the car.
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/cars?intcmp=52215

The ULEZ is enforced based on the declared emissions of the vehicle rather than the age.

@TimetohittheroadJack Doesn't have a zero emissions car either - they have mixed up zero road tax with zero emissions and they are not the same thing.

Although it is based on emissions, it's not based on Co2 emissions like some road tax bandings used to be (and first year payments still are).
It's based on the overall emissions standard so includes Nox and particulate emissions. Some vehicles have very low Co2 (small diesels) but have levels of Nox and Particulates that are higher than current standards.

Just to take one example, a 2005 Petrol V8 4.4 Litre Land Rover Discovery - a vehicle no doubt loathed and hated by most on MN as a "death tank" and certainly a gas-guzzler with high Co2 emissions (much higher than the diesel version), wouldn't be charged for ULEZ as it complies with Euro 4 Petrol emissions.

OP is BU as ULEZ is nothing to do with Climate Change as my example of the V8 Land Rover being compliant clearly shows.

ULEZ is to do with pollution, not climate change, but I don't think it's unreasonable of people to link the two.

I live in the original ULEZ and as I don't drive any more but still have to breathe, I like it.

What a sweeping and ridiculous statement. Of course it isn't always for everyone!

But OP was suggesting people should support ULEZ as a lifestyle change to take action on climate change when it doesn't. It's about cleaner air for London, not climate change.

As the example above shows, ULEZ actually encourages use of vehicles wiht higher Co2 emissions (that contribute to climate change).

Exactly. I'm not a natural supporter of the people who run the railways but most of us have experienced all of those things plus leaves on the line and also the wrong kind of snow - I'm not bitching about that either. I think it means the wheels get clogged and slippy and I'd rather not die in a derailment. Expanding tracks in ferociously hot weather, too. I remember cows on the line once and I didn't live in the Wild West.

It doesn't happen all the time but it's annoying when it does.

That's why I suggested to @angela99999 that her trains were suspended owing to an unforeseen event.

Yes, yes. But we are now on page 25 and I want to talk about my positive experience of living in the ULEZ in London.

I'm not stopping you talking about a car model that is nearly 20 years old even though the relevance doesn't immediately strike me.

Every new thing we do has unintended consequences. That means we should fix those consequences if negative, not never try new things.

How likely do you think it is that people will all do the same diligent research as you and rush out and try to buy this particular vehicle to get round the ULEZ? And even if they did, how many of these vehicles would be available and within affordable parameters of maintenance and petrol consumption?

I don't know. Perhaps you can tell me. I'm warning you that I'd find it less than fascinating, but I wouldn't try to stop you. Just don't tell people what they are and not allowed to talk about on Mumsnet even in AIBU or not.

These types of schemes do nothing in terms of the larger impact, the only thing they ensure is cleaner air in those cities/zones.

Let's not pretend there is some environmental impact in reality or the great scheme of things.

If you haven't watched it, watch Kiss the Ground. There are much larger issues we could and should tackle that would have much further reach in environmental terms.

ULEZ is a clean air scheme penalising those living in those areas.

It's never claimed to be anything other than a clean air zone scheme

Flamingyam, there have been far more sweeping statements the other way, saying everyone is affected by and angry with ulez, now that's ridiculous - some people welcome it

The snow problem that you are probably thinking of was not a slipping or line blocked problem. It was a design fault in the motors which resulted in the cooling air intakes becoming clogged up. The motors then started to overheat and shut themselves down to prevent self destruction. I agree that some things are not realistically possible to prevent and so not the fault of the train companies. However, lack of investment, lack of maintenance, lack of staff are very much within their control. For example, the tunnel flooding may have been genuinely beyond their control or it could have been than nobody had bothered to inspecting and unblocking a drain.

I'd agree if I didn't need to eat, pay bills etc unfortunately it's going to be benefits for me and husband

It's all very well talking about the emissions themselves, we'd all agree that we'd like them to be lower. But cars you buy need to be made too (or sometimes a replacement made if you buy a second hand one as will be at least the same number of cars left on the road) and car-scrapping and manufacturing also produces emissions. I also wonder about the emissions caused by shipping cars here from other countries now that so few are totally produced here.
However this all pales into insignificance when you consider aircraft emissions caused by our holiday-hungry society. I speak as someone living under a flight path who can definitely tell from the number of flights when the private school holidays have begun.

It probably was not unforseen, more likely they'd just not bothered to update the platform notices or the website with the most up to date information.

Another problem is the air pollution on the underground system

What people are ignoring is the ULEZ and other similar schemes are implemented after court action due to llegally high levels of air pollution.

The local authorities enacting them have been forced to do so.

What a weird response.

But the OP was banging on about climate change.

But the OP was banging on about climate change.

OP has gone now that it’s been pointed out that their claims of “only very old cars” being effected are crap.

Keep your offensive remarks to yourself. My DH is a tradesman and certainly does not avoid tax.

I'm guessing that it could be debated that there will be some people that pay cash in hand etc

ULEZ is a clean air scheme helping those living in those areas to live longer.