Stop expanding the ULEZ to all the London boroughs in 2023

[Darrell]

Geezer is a joke.

Black taxis are exempt from London's ULEZ charges because they're "SPECIALLY DESIGNED" says Khan

The capital's iconic black taxis are free from Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) charges, unlike private hire vehicles, due to their specialist design, the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has said. When asked why London licensed private hire drivers were not offered a six-month exemption from charges...

www.taxi-point.co.uk

 

[Darrell]

 

[markjay]

TfL data shows that there were 5,049 electric cabs and 3,965 Diesel cabs registered in London at the end of 2021. Given that since 2018, all new London cabs must be electric, there would be even less Diesel cabs on the London's roads now. So while I agree that exempting Diesel cabs wasn't right (and potentially politically motivated), at a practical level the problem is quickly going away on its own accord.

 

[guhvies]

Cameras to enforce ULEZ zones may be ILLEGAL, surveillance tsar says

Professor Fraser Sampson said the legality of the use of ANPR to enforce ultra low emission zones is 'questionable' and 'there is little evidence that it would benefit society'.

www.dailymail.co.uk

IANAL so it's best to seek their advice. Are there any barristers/KCs in the house? If yes, can they give an opinion on this? Or is this one for the Supreme Court to sort out?

 

[Darrell]

So while I agree that exempting Diesel cabs wasn't right (and potentially politically motivated), at a practical level the problem is quickly going away on its own accord.

Which is something that should’ve happened across the board. The process has been rotten since it began.

 

[MrGreedy]

But Kahn is willing to spend tens of millions on cameras, signage etc?

Has the added benefit of surveillance. Come centralised banking digital currency (CBDC) time, this will all tie in anyway and the state will be able to observe all journeys and transactions made (cash would likely be withdrawn). You probably wouldn't even need to log on to anything to pay. The CDBC could just be taken from your account. It will be sold as purely for your convenience and safety.

 

[Darrell]

Has the added benefit of surveillance. Come centralised banking digital currency (CBDC) time, this will all tie in anyway and the state will be able to observe all journeys and transactions made (cash would likely be withdrawn). You probably wouldn't even need to log on to anything to pay. The CDBC could just be taken from your account. It will be sold as purely for your convenience and safety.

So it’s all down to Big Brother and cash?

I’ve seen a figure of £200 million to fund the extension.

 

[Darrell]

From where I’m standing Kahn’s reasoning simply doesn’t stick up.
They’re hypocritical and stink of wanting to grab as much cash as possible.

Britain is in the middle of a crisis where folk are making the decision of food V heat and this guy is making it worse for some of them. He should be ashamed of himself.

 

[neilrr]

Do fireworks not give off noxious/greenhouse gasses?

'These are the biggest fireworks in Europe... with three surprises,' says London's mayor

After cancellations because of COVID in previous years, the 2022 London fireworks are promising to be particularly spectacular.

news.sky.com

 

[SW18]

From where I’m standing Kahn’s reasoning simply doesn’t stick up.
They’re hypocritical and stink of wanting to grab as much cash as possible.

Britain is in the middle of a crisis where folk are making the decision of food V heat and this guy is making it worse for some of them. He should be ashamed of himself.

I think there's another side to this though: TfL is broke because it's lost 20% of its income due to reduced week-day use of its services. The government is not willing to make up the shortfall, so instead Khan has to find other sides of income (or cut services).

There's no easy answer to that and I certainly don't agree with all he / TfL are doing, but increased road charges are probably the least-worst option. E.g. cutting bus services was tested first, but was not viable as it really does hit the worst-off who do the very lowest-paid but vital work (cleaners, etc).

At the end of the day, we're all paying to refill the nation's coffers after Covid in myriad ways; new charges for city motorists is just one way of many.

 

[st13phil]

TfL is broke because it's lost 20% of its income due to reduced week-day use of its services.

TfL was going broke because of Khan’s fares policies before the pandemic. The reduction in income due to reduced usage is just the icing on the cake he’d already baked.

The logical thing to do if you have a 20% reduction in usage is to reduce your costs by cutting capacity. However, logic obviously doesn’t apply to the public sector.

 

[Darrell]

TfL was going broke because of Khan’s fares policies before the pandemic.

Out of interest what were his fares policies?

 

[Darrell]

TfL was going broke because of Khan’s fares policies before the pandemic. The reduction in income due to reduced usage is just the icing on the cake he’d already baked.

The logical thing to do if you have a 20% reduction in usage is to reduce your costs by cutting capacity. However, logic obviously doesn’t apply to the public sector.

This all goes to prove then that the ULEZ extension is just a way of generating money?


Also I think it will get worse with more people WFH meaning there’ll be less wedge coming in.

 

[st13phil]

Out of interest what were his fares policies?

Freezing prices. A cynic would say primarily to buy votes.

 

[poormansporsche]

Freezing prices. A cynic would say primarily to buy votes.

A cynic would say that the money is actually somewhat irrelevant. Citizen Khan wants all cars gone from the hands of the dirty prole Londoners, they should in the correct place of public transport. Cars should only be for the Elite (and the correct Elite at that !)

 

[Darrell]

A cynic would say that the money is actually somewhat irrelevant. Citizen Khan wants all cars gone from the hands of the dirty prole Londoners, they should in the correct place of public transport. Cars should only be for the Elite (and the correct Elite at that !)

Woman I know recently posted a comment of Facebook slagging off Rishi Sunak for being ferried about like a typical rich Tory in his chauffeur driven Range Rover. I pointed out that Sadiq Kahn also gets ferried about in a chauffeur driven Range Rover.

She blocked me.

 

[SW18]

Woman I know recently posted a comment of Facebook slagging off Rishi Sunak for being ferried about like a typical rich Tory in his chauffeur driven Range Rover. I pointed out that Sadiq Kahn also gets ferried about in a chauffeur driven Range Rover.

She blocked me.

I never understand outrage about politicians being chauffeured around the place. They don't have any choice but to have it. One of the last European politicians to move around freely was Olof Palme and that didn't end well.

 

[Darrell]

I never understand outrage about politicians being chauffeured around the place. They don't have any choice but to have it. One of the last European politicians to move around freely was Olof Palme and that didn't end well.

I realised that but she obviously didn’t. I’m going to Google Olaf Palme.

 

[markjay]

I never understand outrage about politicians being chauffeured around the place. They don't have any choice but to have it....

 

[SW18]

Fair point! And in that pic he doesn't even have a few 'heavies' around him on bikes, which he often did when cycling.