ULEZ expansion

[Polarbear]

ULEZ expansion: Pressure mounts on London mayor to reconsider plans

I'm not sure how this will affect bikes in London as I'm not up on the legislation but I can see why councils in the outer districts are not happy with it.

Personally I'm against it. I don't think there is a need for it as it will get cleaner and cleaner as older vehicles disappear and more modern, cleaner ones take their place. As said by others (and myself) I'm not conviced by the arguement for. In my view 1, it's mainly a money making project and 2, it's become part of Khan's vanity project to force everyone onto TFL or pushbikes.

There's a whole variety of councils listed, Labour, Tory, Lib dem all included and talk of legal action, we shall see. I suspect what happens here will have ramifications for other councils planning their own old car tax.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-64373344
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[Easy-X]

AFAIK if you have a classic bike (>40yo) or Euro 3 it's fine. A few people on here have even got their near Euro 3 spec bikes recertified.

With regards to the council revolt it's the ones on the edge that are kicking up the most fuss. Public transport links fizzle out dramatically and of course the irony is that the poorest people tend to travel the furthest across London regardless of the style of conveyance.

Gotta keep bleedin' dem poors though!
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[arry]

Not bike related but ULEZ related - Lammy got a bit of a kicking on one of the news channels, think it was LBC, where they said to him your constituents aren't going to be able to do their jobs mate, are you listening?

He said there's really good public transport with some really useful connections out of his area.

Presenter said so a painter and decorator is going to take all their stuff on the tube then, are they? Lammy says yes, why not...

So they sent a presenter out in overalls with a step ladder and a pot of paint. TFL told him he couldn't take the ladder on at busy times and confiscated his paint

[Bhud]

There's a serious road congestion problem in some of the overcrowded areas that seem to have the best access to public transport (west of London not including places like Surrey). It just makes more financial sense to have a car than not. You need some tools or DIY materials? Pop down to Screwfix or Toolstation. Stop off on the way at Costco, and pick up toilet paper that averages out at 15p per roll. Things like that... Whereas if you didn't, you would have to pay delivery/postage costs, and/or a bus fare. There are even just-out-of-town independent supermarkets where you can get food at a tiny fraction of the price for the same at normal supermarkets. Not to mention furniture stores such as IKEA (and independents) which serve the residential flats industry. So if you have an old banger to get to those places, you're using your head. Local authorities turn a blind eye to cars parked on the pavements, because it's just the local culture in these places and everyone knows the deal. Plus, those massive commercial retail units which are completely dependent on car traffic are rented and rake in money for local authorities, investors and the tax man. Some of these remain highly viable commercial propositions (e.g. logistics centres), but others are dead men walking (anything with an Argos and/or Pizza Hut).

There's justification for some kind of road redesign and urban planning policy consolidation under the umbrella of an authority that has supreme oversight over these areas, which are just a few miles apart at most. However, the proposed ULEZ expansion is an overreach which will affect people and areas which don't suffer from these issues. It's using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. That said, whatever solution is finally adopted will be politically unpalatable and will make ordinary people poorer.

[grr666]

Let's just say it removes all the non compliant vehicles which I read somewhere account for a whopping 6.9% of
the total vehicles in the expanded zone. Will the traffic noticeably improve? Do they honestly think those vehicles
are running all day every day anyway? What if more realistically, maybe half of that 6.9% prefer to keep running
what they have or simply cant afford to change to another vehicle, just pay the fee and pass the cost on to their
customers and clients?

Will 'the kids™" stop getting asthma if 3.45% of vehicles that almost definitely have at least DPF technology and
pass an annual smoke test, and which aren't in constant use anyway disappear? Will life expectancy in Khans multi
ethnic Stabville (where a knife in the throat is more real a threat than developing a bit of a wheeze) skyrocket? Or
will it just boost his rainbow zebra crossings budget a bit?
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[Easy-X]

Taking it back to "this is a motorcycle forum" for a moment. Yes, the CC and ULEZ have changed my driving patterns to some extent as I've swapped the car for a motorcycle. Now for the caveats...

I have the resources and mental capacity for the transition (but that being said you can cheap out on a 125 and perpetual 'L' plates.)

My job is 99% knowledge based so worst ways I'm just stashing some hand tools in the top box but basically if it won't fit in a backpack you're fucked.

Is it the money or is it the actual congestion? (Which the CC has done nothing to solve.) Bit of both.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[Kawasaki Jimbo]

Slightly OT but I recently heard about “15 minute cities.” The idea is that you have all necessary amenities within a short walk, bike ride, or public transport from your home. Doesn’t sound too bad even if it’s an attack on the private motorised transport we’ve all been encouraged to use up to now. So, surely the council would work to build those local facilities thereby encouraging people to choose local community living? Er… no, it’s all ANPR, fining anyone who crosses the boundary, and sneering at the masses.

The people of Oxford have got detention -

https://twitter.com/CharlotteCGill/status/1617940762741641229

[arry]

[Bhud]

The 15-minute city thing has been many years in the planning - sure I dropped a link showing a TED talk by Tia Kansara once upon a time (maybe during the lockdowns, when many of the road changes were "temporarily" made). It seems it's all going ahead in many towns and cities across the UK now. It's not a conspiracy theory - this is actually real.

Cars and road/private transport are here to stay, but I don't see how it's viable to continue as things are, in the west of London (which is a part of the area where the ULEZ expansion is proposed). It's hellish. If there were fewer cars being used there, that would be nicer. The historic/classic exemption could be usefully widened. It's important to leave caveats for genuine enthusiast/leisure use of the motor vehicle, for quality of life reasons.

Motorcycles are not a drop-in replacement for private cars in those places, and it's private car use that's causing the problem (in my opinion, because of ingrained habits as well as the simple economics and impracticality of using anything else). I don't support the ULEZ expansion - it will have massive knock-on economic effects if it proceeds as planned. However, something does have to be done in some of the areas named (I note Harrow and Hillingdon are proposed to come under the expanded ULEZ zone, and those areas have a problem as they have had a lot of high-density flats built there in recent years).

[Pete.]