ULEZ

[titbumwillypoo]

Simple solution to all the people moaning about the ULEZ charge. In order to be exempt all you have to do is drive your car into a shipping container, close the doors and run your engine for one hour. If as you say your car isn't that bad you should be fine, as the fumes you pump out on pedestrians should be good enough for you to breathe for an hour?
AIBU- Don't be ridiculous that would kill off loads of drivers who only have access to the most integrated transport system in the country.
YANBU - Sounds like a plan! 😂

The Tories are unlikely to win in London at present - even strongholds like Wandsworth went red at the last borough elections.

And remember, many people are very happy with cleaner air, and this won't be an electoral issue for them.

ULEZ doesn't really make much money (always less than projections) but it would probably stretch to being self-supporting in terms of paying for replacement cameras.

Remember that, despite all the attempts to pin this on Khan, ULEZs are not only a London phenomenon - they exist in 7 other cities in UK and well over 200 across Europe.

I read recently that there are around 0.3 cars to every adult in London. Being a londoner from birth, I personally don't know many people with cars, even when further out (but then again, I grew up pretty poor). I can't imagine this will be a decisive factor for a lot of people enough to result in a "landslide".

Almost everyone in inner London is fine with ULEZ.
A large minority of outer Londoners (including the poorest) don't have cars.
The overwhelming majority of outer Londoners who do have cars aren't affected because they're compliant (unless they have a relative in Surrey with an old diesel who complains about paying when they visit).

Outer Londoners who drive non-compliant cars, weren't planning to change them and found the change difficult and were previously Labour voters (because if they were previously Tory voters this won't affect their vote no matter how angry they are) is not a large enough constituency to cause a landslide.

Not saying it's impossible that it will swing the next election mind you: a 2.5% swing would have seen Shaun Bailey win the mayoralty at the last election, and there are more outer Londoners than inner Londoners, so it's probably enough to swing it. But it won't be a landslide.

And I doubt it will affect the GLA seats much - though Ealing and Hillingdon, which is marginally Labour at the moment will probably swing Tory.

If it was my daughter who had died of air pollution I would be playing the tiniest violin in the world for all this complaining.

YES. It is difficult to change your lifestyle but pollution kills people - and often people who don't even have car but are standing on the side of the road waiting for buses. Until we have a government which behaves responsibly about the environment we will suffer more than necessary for changes like this but that doesn't mean it isn't worth it. I live on the border of the original ULEZ zone and you could taste the difference in air on each side of it.

So kind of Mr Khan to worry about you. I’ve not received anything from him, even though I live in the newly added areas, and drive.

Not that I would have read his drivel.

Yes, central London won't care, but the outer boroughs will. I spent 12 years in zone 2 with no car as there was no need. Now we're in zone 5 it's a very very different story as the public transport just isn't there.

YANBU! 😀

Even if was a way to raise money then anything raised will go towards improving public transport, since London is the ONLY European city that has transport not subsidised by central government. TfL have been dumped on from a great height by this government and If the Tory gets into mayor she will scrap free fares for oldies and under 16s as that is what the government is trying to force Khan to do. Fares would then go up for everyone. I live in ULEZ zone and I’m 100% in favour. Too many people use their cars for nipping down the road The car lobby here is akin to the gun lobby in the USA- people who feel they have a good given right to do what they like and to hell with the environment or the health of others.

If things are so dire they why is Mayor Khan wasting millions on the Overground renaming exercise?

This - another tax on people who cannot afford it, the rich dont care, they have compliant cars (new) and even so, wouldnt care about £12.50 - is that more than min wage?

And why do thousands of TFL staff and their friends and family enjoy free travel?

So you're in an area with excellent public transport.

Why is it so hard to understand that this infrastructure just isn't there in the outer boroughs in greater London.

I've repeatedly used my own example. I have to have a blood test every 2 weeks at the moment at local blood test centre, and once a month at the hospital. My local blood test centre is 10 minute drive, but 3 buses and 45 minutes using public transport. At the moment, I can easily make up the 30 minutes it takes me at the end of my working day. But when it becomes around 2 hours, it's not doable. The hospital where I have the blood tests is 15 minutes by car, or 75 minutes or over by multiple buses (longer by tube). I would be expected to either make the time up, or take annual leave.

A friend posted on facebook - her elderly grandmother is receiving radiotherapy 3 times a week at a south London hospital just inside the zone. This means a payment of around £150 a month for her to receive this. In their early eighties, so changing the car isn't simple or affordable. It would be 90 minutes on public transport (into London on train, and then back out again to hospital, and then repeat for way home) for a sick, elderly woman.

An HCA at a hospital on London / Essex border. Works a shift that finishes at 11pm. She barely earns over minimum wage, and there is no public transport home for her at that time of night. So £12.50 each day, or £25 if she doesn't manage to leave till after midnight which isn't unusual.

Central London it's all very doable and easy. But before bringing it into greater London, the public transport needs sorting out.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/reimbursements-of-the-congestion-charge-and-ulez-charge
And some of those people you mentioned can get reimbursed.

ONE of those could, possibly be eligible. I will pass on the details.

But only the elderly lady receiving radiotherapy would even maybe qualify. I'm not too sick to use public transport, I just don't want to waste a large chunk of my annual leave on doing so (and have replaced my car, so is a moot point, I was just using it as an example on how public transport just isn't great in outer London. I lived 12 years in central London without a car as public transport was amazing. Its not great out here in outer London) And an HCA working in a hospital isn't eligible. Only community staff would be.

for me to get the train to work would be 20 mins to walk to the station, between 1 hour/1 hour 10, and a 20 min walk the other side,....

then of course the same back again - oh and that would involve changing to a bus half way

If i wanted to stay on the train and arrive at 845

• Leave at 05:32
• Arrive at 08:22
• Cost £30.70 (one way)
• Duration 2 hours 50 minutes
• 6 changes

the bus alone is 2 hours 30 mins (plus the 20 mins walk to the bus stop)

If i drive? 28 minutes door to door, but yeah, tell me about how my little car should be scrapped (it is ULEZ compliant but its getting on a bit, its a 2 seater and extremely economical)

your car doesn’t have to be scrapped as it’s compliant.

Could you cycle to the station and take the bike on the train

Time is something noone can buy, why waste its commuting almost 3hrs thats just ridiculous so I totally understand why you drive.

That's three hours each way.....

I would do 3 hours a day, I love reading, but not 6 hours and the cost....

Exactly thats a whole day commuting. Completely ridiculous for anyone to suggest you do that.

I have a few colleagues (nhs) that work shifts and will now have to pay the charge

the cost of a new car was beyond their budget as already the cost of living increase has stretched their finances to breaking point

yet I will dive down a road and they are full of 4x4 they take up such a huge amount of space on London roads. I remember Khan claiming he would tax such cars very highly, bollocks has he

but once let’s make it hard for those who don’t get listened to as much who don’t have the contacts to make a fuss who are too worn down to fight against another decision that keeps the poor poorer I’m so sick of politicians claiming they want to help the poorer in our society

if you can afford to pay you will you won’t bother getting another car you don’t need to

Drive not dive (obviously)

frozencarlotta, 28 minutes door to door. So you work about 15-20 miles away yet it takes so long on public transport. I'd love to know which part of London has service worse that the majority of the rest of the country?

Biggin Hill probably!