Post
by petefarrell360 » 02 Apr 2008 06:07 am
LOL! Hatch, I thought the same!
Filthyjohn is right, people are too chicken to stand up against anything. There are always people who will complain, but when it comes to action or complaining in a way that will get noticed they don't bother. IMO the congestion charge was the beginning of the end. It's done nothing to stop congestion, just another way of relieving us of money. Now other cities want to adopt the scheme.
The new green emissions zones in London, another con. My van, despite passing an MOT, will not be allowed into London after 2010 as it won't meet the emission requirements they've set, and I would be charged a fine of £200! They've introduced it in a clever manner, groups of vehicles at a time, so the amount of people affected and who will complain at a time is smaller, that way a campaign gets less weight and support behind it. I noticed the signs when they went up and like others entering London was left pretty confused, half expecting a fine to turn up on my doorstep. However as I say, it's currently lorries over 7.5 tonnes I think, so everything that goes into London by road is affected.
Now, it's only going to affect the smaller businesses, the large companies normally update their fleets pretty often. So it isn't going to affect them at all, however the smaller company who relies on using cheaper older vehicles will be. I won't be conforming, London can stick their business up their ****. I choose to own a large, high topped, simpler turbo diesel LDV, I don't want to spend thousands on a new van that will cost the earth to get serviced as I can't work on it, mine works fine and meets my needs perfectly thanks!
There was an example of a scrapyard in Central London somewhere that was using one of the oldest lorries or something along those lines in England everyday, however the new green emissions zone means it will not be allowed to leave the yard, unless they want to pay a £200 fine everytime!
I'm not going to continue doing any work in central London, the place stinks, it's grubby, there's nowhere to park, if there is it costs the earth, its congested beyond belief, and you get robbed for the priviledge of sitting in the traffic and you're more likely to get blown up, and now they want to fine me or stop me taking my van in, no thanks, it's not for me!
So..... how can they ban cars of a certain age from entering cities, or requiring a cat? I'm sure Ronnie and Tom are right, it'll spread, as soon as it's seen as either a simple money making scheme in fines, or makes people buy new cars.
On another note, remember when there was the hint of pay per mile tax, and a device to be fitted to your car to track and record the mileage, so adding to the nanny state this country is increasingly heading towards?
Tom, how does this new rule affect foreign visitors, i.e. if I took my UK MOT'd 360 without cat over there and drove into the city? It doesn't need one in this country, (currently) but does there.
As with all these things, it either affects the person who chooses to use an older car and is denied that right of freedom of choice, or hits the people worst off, who have no choice but to drive older cars that cost less in the first place.
I did however notice a bit of a public moan when there was a tax either introduced or planned to be introduced on vehicles of a certain engine capacity, to be paid ontop of the initial purchase cost. It hit one of the Porsche models quite hard, and of course would affect sales, so they had a good moan. Not sure how it ended, didn't really have the time to read it all.
I'll now climb down off of my soapbox, but soon you won't be able to drive anywhere, own, use, look at, appreciate, save, restore or buy a car over 10 years old! How are classics and historic vehicles that are part of history ever going to be preserved and saved, but also used. Not everyone wants to put them in a museum unused!
Pete
G reg 360 GLT, G reg 340 GL Variomatic, plus many more..........
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