Stop the new ultra low emissions tax in London for Diesel cars and vans

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The Issue

We have all been duped into buying Diesel vehicles for years and many of us drive a Diesel vehicle due to that, we are angry about the new Ultra Low Emission Zone being introduced by the mayor of London Mr Sadiq Kahn which will discriminate against Diesel cars and vans by needing a euro 6, which is 2016 and newer, we believe we should be treated like petrol vehicle owners by only needing a euro 4 which is 2005 and newer, and as the ultra low emission zone will be expanding in two years time to include everything within the north circular this is not feasible. We demand the rules to change to allow euro 4 Diesel cars and vans and not descriminate against many low end earners and hard working entrepreneurs who can’t afford a three year old car or to replace their vans.

A little excerise for anyone is to have a look around and count the amount of diesel vans that will have to be replaced, it is an astronomical amount of vehicles, anything older than a 2016 van and diesel car will need to be replaced, has there been a study to check on the impact that the environment will have to take with creating so many new vehicles, I doubt that, it is all a money spin unfortunately.

And to Mr Sadiq Kahn, if you really care about emissions, why are Black Cabs exempt from the ULEZ rules, you can’t have one rule for some and another rule for others.

avatar of the starter
Mori RubinPetition Starter
Media enquiries

The Decision Makers

Sadiq Khan
Sadiq Khan
Mayor of London
Responded
“Dear Petitioner, Thank you for the petition submitted on the change.org website about the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). Toxic air pollution is causing a public health crisis. Over two million Londoners live in areas that exceed legal limits for nitrogen dioxide (NO2), of which over 400,000 are children. Toxic air pollution causes thousands of premature deaths in London each year. It is stunting the growth of children’s lungs, is a cause of cancer, and increases the risk of asthma, stroke and dementia. Air pollution is also a social justice issue, with the most deprived Londoners most likely to be exposed to air pollution, and yet least likely to own a car. The ULEZ is part of a bold package of measures that the Mayor is undertaking to clean up London’s toxic air. While the Mayor is also acting on other sources, road transport is the greatest contributor to air pollution in London. There is no way to make the massive improvements needed to London’s air quality without tackling the most polluting vehicles and so this must be a focus for action. The Mayor is leading by example with the fleets in his control. For example, since he was elected, three quarters of Transport for London’s (TfL) bus fleet, including all buses operating in the central zone, now meet or exceed the ULEZ emissions standard. The Mayor’s bus retrofit programme means that over 9,000 buses in TfL’s fleet will meet the emissions standard in 2020. But given the scale of the task, everyone must play their part. ULEZ emissions standards While all vehicles are responsible for air pollutant emissions, petrol engine vehicles emit significantly lower air pollutants (i.e. nitrogen oxides – NOx – and particulate matter) than diesel-powered ones. Therefore, the ULEZ standards have been set at Euro 6 diesel because this has the equivalent limit for NOx as the Euro 4 petrol standard. The Euro 4 diesel standard is not equivalent to the Euro 4 petrol standard. Further information on Euro standards can be found at: https://www.dieselnet.com/standards/eu/ld.php. Taxis and the ULEZ Taxis are not in scope of the ULEZ because they are legally obliged to use a certain type of vehicle that is purpose designed for London’s unique street network and fully accessible to wheelchair users. However, the Mayor is taking action to clean up the taxi fleet with new black cabs required to meet much higher emission standards than cars and vans. From 2018, no new diesel taxis have been licensed and all new taxis need to be zero emission capable. There are currently over 1,500 zero emission capable taxis in the fleet. TfL has recently consulted on a proposal to reduce the age limit from 15 years to 12 years by 2022 for older, more polluting taxis and accelerate the uptake of cleaner vehicles. This would affect most owners of diesel taxis. ULEZ income The goal of the ULEZ it not to generate revenue. Its goal is to improve the health and wellbeing of Londoners by helping to clean up the capital’s air. TfL is spending vastly more on improving air quality – around £800 million – than it expects to receive through net income from the ULEZ. Any income generated from the scheme, after costs are taken into account, will be invested in improving air quality across London’s transport network. However, this income is expected to decrease year-on-year as more vehicles meet the standards. Assessment of environmental impact Thorough and comprehensive assessment of the impacts of the ULEZ was conducted based on highways, transport and air quality emission models. This was backed by surveys of Londoners to understand how people would choose to respond. A full Integrated Impact Assessment (IIA) on the health, environmental and economic impacts of the ULEZ was also carried out by an independent consultancy. All this information was publicly available during the public consultations on the ULEZ and thoroughly informed the Mayor’s decision. You can see these assessments at: https://tfl.gov.uk/corporate/publications-and-reports/ultra-low-emission-zone#on-this-page-1. Vehicle replacement and scrappage We do not want people to have to pay the ULEZ charge, but rather walk, cycle, take public transport or use cleaner vehicles. The Mayor recognises that some motorists will need help switching to greener transport options. To help ensure public transport is an affordable option, the Mayor introduced the Hopper fare on buses and implemented the TfL fare freeze. Where Londoners do need to use their vehicles, we want these to meet the ULEZ standards. However, the ULEZ does not require the purchase of an expensive new vehicle. Euro 4 compliant petrol cars have been widely available to purchase since 2006, with some available as early as 2000, meaning there are second-hand vehicles available. The Mayor has also announced £48 million funding to create vehicle scrappage schemes that aim to help micro-business owners, charities and low-income Londoners scrap older, more polluting vehicles in…”

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Petition created on 27 January 2019