Rishi Sunak Backtracking on IC Car Ban and Petition to Sign

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The national media have reported that the Government may put back the date when new sales of oil/petrol cars are banned from 2030 to 2035. This is surely good news as it was never a rational policy and was potentially damaging to the motor vehicle production industry which is a significant contributor to UK GDP. But the motor industry is complaining about the lack of consistency which makes it difficult for them to plan ahead.  

Meanwhile Sadiq Khan has complained that large sums of money have been spent on twitter campaigns against his ULEZ expansion. He provides no evidence of this which I suggest is extremely unlikely. The campaigns are a grass-roots movement by people affected by the extension and in some cases impoverished.

It also affects many people who live outside London and who are not eligible for the scrappage scheme but need to drive into London for work or other reasons such as visiting hospitals. There is now a new Parliamentary petition which you should sign and which reads: “Give everyone within the Home Counties a vote for the London Mayor”.

It is certainly the case that there is no justice when there is taxation with no representation which is what is effectively happening with the ULEZ as the Mayor penalises people who live outside the borders of his jurisdiction (the GLA area).

Do sign the petition here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/643187

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Time to Kill Off Top Gear?

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The Telegraph has reported that the BBC may axe the Top Gear show after the serious accident involving Freddie Flintoff last year. He sustained serious injuries from which he is still recovering. See article here: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2023/09/11/freddie-flintoff-top-gear-crash-bbc-crisis/

This was not the first time that reckless driving on Top Gear injured a compere with Richard Hammond seriously injured in 2006. But it is surely the case that the programme is well past its retirement date.

It was always a promoter of excess speed and risk taking with only Jeremy Clarkson offsetting that with his wit. But it surely has not been promoting responsible driving. A programme on cars and driving is worth broadcasting as cars are so essential to modern life. But it needs a new formula that discourages the boy racer mentality.

We might see fewer unreasonable attacks on cars and driving, such as 20 mph speed limits, if the programme content was refocussed.

Yes it’s time to kill off Top Gear before someone gets killed.

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London Parking Penalty Charges

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London Councils have launched a public consultation on proposed increases in penalty charges for parking and moving traffic offences. Needless to say they think they should be increased but they don’t provide any evidence to support any change. Most such infringements take place accidentally and the charges are already high enough to deter misuse.

Parking penalty charges have increased rapidly in recent years as London boroughs have tried to maximise their income. The charges should be reduced not increased and there should be no additional penalty for appealing.

Go here to submit a response to the consultation:  https://www.londoncouncils.gov.uk/LondonParkingChargesConsultation

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When Will Sadiq Khan Get His Comeuppance?

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Today (the 29th August 2023), the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has been extended to the whole of Greater London. This is unjustified on the scientific evidence of the miniscule benefit to air pollution and improved population health but it will cost many Londoners (and those who live in surrounding counties) dearly.

In practice it’s just another tax to support Sadiq Khan’s mismanagement of TfL’s budgets.

How did Sadiq Khan manage to obtain such dictatorial powers that he can impose such wide-ranging taxes without the consent of the people? He did so because central Government were asleep, or distracted by other political issues such as Brexit and a national pandemic.

But the tide is turning as people see how incompetent Khan has been at managing not just London’s transport network but in other areas also such as crime and housing. The only thing Khan has been good at is blaming central Government for his own failings and bribing the electorate with their own money – free transport and free school meals for example paid for out of taxes.

It could of course have been very different if the population had seen Sadiq Khan for what he is – a runt whose politics are all about building his ego and his stature by a relentless power grab.

But the tide is turning. Direct action to remove the ULEZ cameras or damage them is escalating while a serious challenge to Khan’s re-election next May is looming. Just as Ken Livingstone became so hated by his extreme policies that the call was to vote for “anyone but Ken” it will soon become “anyone but Khan”.

On a personal note I concluded that Sadiq Khan was not going to back down on the ULEZ expansion a few months back. He is clearly incapable of compromise and needs the money raised to pay for existing commitments. So I decided to change my ten-year old diesel Jaguar XF for a two year old petrol Jaguar XE. It’s very economical and is of course ULEZ compliant. Hopefully it will last me for many more years of low mileage motoring.

I am of course in the fortunate position of being able to afford to change my car every few years but many people are not. The scrappage scheme is simply a sop that will not significantly help them. Let us hope they remember that next May.

The economics of switching to an electric vehicle did not make sense just yet but it might do in a few years’ time. I am open-minded on the pros and cons of electric vehicles but the high capital cost and low resale values do not make them attractive as yet.

Roger Lawson Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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20 MPH Limits and Bromley Road Safety Review

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Come September, roads in Wales in urban areas are to have the speed limit reduced to 20 mph, i.e. it will replace the 30 limit with a few exceptions. This was a decision made by the Welsh Parliament (the Senedd) but they have already received a petition of over 20,000 signatures objecting.

This is basically an irrational proposal that will not improve road safety or reduce road casualties. A DfT report showed there was no benefit in putting up 20 mph limit signs alone without road engineering measures and they are a waste of money.

In London we have the same irrationality with 20 limits being imposed on main A-roads in some cases. This is making it very difficult to drive in a normal but safe manner on London’s roads and is slowing bus journeys.

The London Borough of Bromley have published an interesting report entitled a “Comprehensive Review of Road Safety…” . See https://cds.bromley.gov.uk/documents/s50105790/Road%20Safety%20in%20LBBromley%20-%20June%202023-Word.pdf . It is well worth reading and was considered by a Council Committee.

Of course there are some Bromley residents who would like 20 limits everywhere in the mistaken belief that road accidents would disappear. This is the response elicited by a question to the Committee: “Response to Question 11: By using 20 MPH zones where appropriate, rather than having a blanket policy, motorists are more likely to respond and drive in accordance with the speed limit. It is worth noting that the 30 MPH national limit was introduced in 1935 when there were 1.5 m vehicles and vehicle safety standards were rudimentary. There are now more than 41 million vehicles in the UK. In 1935 nearly 8,000 people died on UK roads, last year less than 1,700”.

Yes it’s true that before 1935 there was a national 20 mph limit on all roads. It was of course widely ignored and casualties fell when a more realistic limit of 30 in urban areas was introduced.

See this page of our web site for more information on 20 limits: https://www.freedomfordrivers.org/20mph-limits

Roger Lawson Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

Sadiq Khan has announced some improvements to the ULEZ Scrappage Scheme.

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Presumably this is to try and pacify those who are criticising the ULEZ expansion to outer London. But the amount of money involved (£50 million) is nowhere near enough to enable those who qualify to buy a replacement new vehicle.

It’s also offered on a “first come, first served basis” and the pot will quickly run dry. In addition it only applies to those who live in London so the many tens of thousands of people who live in the home counties but commute into outer London will not qualify. This is what Mayoral candidate Susan Hall had this to say: “”This is too little, too late from Sadiq Khan, who is facing mounting pressure from Londoners and his own party. Thousands of families, small businesses and charities face financial ruin because of Sadiq Khan’s Ulez expansion, which will do next to nothing to improve air quality”. That’s spot on.

The only solution to this madness is to either replace the Mayor at the ballot box in May or for Government to remove his powers to act like a dictator, which he has been misusing. Repeat after me: “There is no air quality health crisis”. It’s just scaremongering by the Mayor to raise taxes to fix his financial mismanagement of TfL”.

Mayor’s Press Release: https://www.london.gov.uk/media-centre/mayors-press-release/MAYOR-ANNOUNCES-SCRAPPAGE-EXPANSION

On a personal note, I did not qualify for the original scrappage scheme even though I am disabled, hold a blue badge and live in London. That has not changed. Scrappage schemes are always severely limited and only enable you to buy a second-hand poor-quality vehicle.

Roger Lawson Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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Decision on Judicial Review Challenge to ULEZ Expansion

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A judge in the High Court has rejected a challenge to the expansion of the ULEZ to all of London by Sadiq Khan on the 29August, which will cost many Londoners £12.50 per day (and more in future no doubt as such taxes are always rapidly raised after implementation).

The judge’s judgement on the Hillingdon claim representing 5 councils is available here: https://www.bailii.org/cgi-bin/format.cgi?doc=/ew/cases/EWHC/Admin/2023/1972.html . As usual with judicial reviews the decision was made based on his views on the legal merits of the claim, not on any moral grounds. But reading the judgement carefully leaves some doubts as to whether it is sound or not. I will not go into details why I say this because that is best left to lawyers but I certainly think a challenge to the Appeal Court would be worthwhile.

It is certainly very worthwhile to continue the fight to oppose this unjust tax which is not justified by evidence on air pollution in London. There are three ways it can be challenged now: 1) by appealing the legal decision; 2) by persuading the Government to change the law; 3) by voting Khan out of office next May. In the last case you need to vote for Howard Cox (Reform Party) or Susan Hall (Conservative Party).  

Councillor Colin Smith, Leader of Bromley Council, said: “Today’s decision cannot be disguised as anything other than bitter disappointment for motorists in general, traders who will now have to consider ceasing business and laying off staff, those who will now have to change jobs and, most desperately of all, people who will no longer be able to support vital care networks for vulnerable people across the whole of outer London in particular.  “To all of them as well as the legion of families who will now have to trade in perfectly good cars at significant cost they can’t really afford, for a newer vehicle they don’t want or need, I can only say sorry. We’ve tried our very hardest to protect you but ultimately, today’s judgement does mean that the Mayor has taken another step closer to getting his way.”

He added: “However, do please be assured that this is not the end of the matter and this battle will continue. To draw a positive from this setback, we have been extremely successful in bringing the Mayor’s intentions both around ULEZ, as well as Road Price Charging which is set to follow, to every front page and living room across the country in recent weeks, and what has become increasingly clear, is that the more that people see and learn of it, the less they like it. “We will take that energy and build on it over coming weeks and it may well be that we will now need to turn to Parliament for a solution immediately upon their return from their Summer Recess at the beginning of September.” 

Roger Lawson Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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Air Pollution in London Suburbs. No justification for ULEZ Expansion. 

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In a previous blog post I wrote about how Shazad Sheikh had measured air quality in London. He purchased an ELITech Temtop Air Monitoring device and used it on the streets of central London and in underground and train stations. The device measures particulates (PM 2.5 and PM10) which are known to be the most hazardous to health and the results were most interesting – see his article here: https://browncarguy.com/2023/07/03/ulez-air-quality-test-pt-1-2/

I have now purchased such a device (see photo above) and tested it out in and near my home in Chislehurst (in the London Borough of Bromley. The results were most interesting and not what one might expect. In my home office I got readings of 4.9 for PM2.5 (small particulates) and 5.7 in our living room. Outside in our back garden the reading was 1.4. Overall AQI was 18, 24 and 5 respectively.

On Chislehurst High Street, normally a congested road, and near the bus stop next to the Hornbrook House Car Park the PM2.5 reading was 1.4.

The AQI results were all under 30 which suggests there is no significant health hazard in the open air of Chislehurst’s roads.

It’s possible that the high indoor readings are from house dust, cooking and laser printer emissions – they were much less when I tested them again later. But the national standards are for PM2.5 particulates of less than 20 µg/m3 so there is no concern whatsoever about living in the suburbs of Bromley and the need to expand the ULEZ to cover the Londoin suburbs is simply not justified.

Roger Lawson Twitter: https://twitter.com/Drivers_London

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Park Lane Changes to be Made Permanent. Another Hatchet Job on the Road Network.

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Transport for London (TfL) have published a note saying that after reviewing the public consultation responses they have decided to make the changes permanent.
To remind you, Park Lane has always been a major thoroughfare in London. The recent introduction of wide bus and cycle lanes has reduced the road space for all other vehicles and caused congestion as a result (see photo above). What used to be a three-lane highway is now only one.

Park Lane is a key part of the road transport network in central London and has now effectively been downgraded. A few cyclists might have benefited but vehicle users have been seriously disadvantaged. This shows how prejudiced TfL is against vehicle users.

The results of the consultation showed that there was no overall support for the scheme but a lot of opposition. Only 31 per cent of respondents stated general support for the Park Lane scheme and vision while 30 per cent raised concern that the scheme has a negative impact on traffic congestion, including displacement of traffic to other nearby areas; and 22 per cent suggested that it is preferable to cycle in Hyde Park than on Park Lane while 22 per cent suggested to remove the cycle lane and the scheme altogether.

What is the point of doing public consultations when the feedback is simply ignored? This is yet another example of TfL ignoring the views of the majority of road users and implementing proposals that favour the small minority who are cyclists. This scheme should never have been proposed when there were much better alternatives.

For the TfL Consultation Report see https://haveyoursay.tfl.gov.uk/park-lane/widgets/33040/documents

Roger Lawson
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Air Quality Reality Very Different to London Mayor’s Claims

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There was an interesting article just published by Shazad Sheikh on measuring air quality in London. He purchased an ELITech Air Monitoring device and used it on the streets of central London and in underground and train stations. The device measures particulates (PM 2.5 and PM10) which are known to be air pollutants that are the most hazardous to health and the results were most interesting – see his article here: https://browncarguy.com/2023/07/03/ulez-air-quality-test-pt-1-2/

It shows that in general the air quality on the streets is unlikely to be a major health hazard as Sadiq Khan claims but the contrary is true in stations.

Note that the device does not measure NOX gasses but these are unlikely to be a health hazard anyway despite what some people claim because they are easier to measure.

You can purchase one of these devices and test the local air quality in your own neighbourhood which I plan to do (Shazad provides a discount code you can use).

Meanwhile Sadiq Khan ignores the problem of very bad air pollution on London’s underground while wanting to penalise car drivers when they are not a significant problem. This is driven by money considerations of course. He can extract money from drivers with ULEZ schemes while cleaning up underground air quality would cost him money.

The Plan to Stop Driving in London

It is very clear that Sadiq Khan and his supporters in the environmental lobbyists are on a mission to stop all driving in London. This was made clear in a document entitled “Next steps for reducing emissions from road transport” published by TfL last year but not widely publicised – see https://content.tfl.gov.uk/next-steps-for-reducing-emissions-from-road-transport.pdf .

This is a call to stop all CO2 emissions from transport in the name of stopping climate change – an impossible task. The document tries to justify expansion of the ULEZ, charges on all vehicles other than zero emission ones and pay per mile charging on all vehicles. It’s an unscientific attack on the use of road transport in general. Read it and be horrified by what is planned!

Only removing Sadiq Khan and the current management of TfL will stop, this unjustified attempt to change our way of life.

Meanwhile the hearing in the High Court of the judicial review challenging the ULEZ expansion commences today (see  https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-66094244 ). It could be some weeks before a judgement is given and the outcome is uncertain.

Roger Lawson

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