London ULEZ tax

[The Duke]

From April 2019 if your car isn’t up to it, you’ll need to pay an extra £10 (iirc) on top of the Congestion charge, to enter the centre of London.

A new tool has just launched to quickly see if your passes of fails. On the run up to this, all the press was saying if to go to car is post 2009 (or similar) you should be fine.

Well my 2015 car failed. Lol, not a buggy for me as 1. I rarely go London, once a year at most, and 2, I’ll not have my current car then.

The issue is, this is setting a bad president that looks like it will be rolling out in other UK cities and EU. I may have to re think my current choice on my next car. I wanted the new 230 vrs, but may opt for the Rav4 hybrid. That was second choice on my list.

Ironically I think the rav4 h isnt really any cleaner that is the Vrs, it has a larger 2.5l petrol unit compared with the 2l of the Vrs, but the rav4 h has the electric motor, so that makes it ‘cleaner’.

I wonder if the new Ferrari /porsche and McLaren are deemed clean too as they are hybrids. I may have a look around the net of photos of UK plate hybrid super cars and run them through the tool.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/ultra-low-emission-zone/vrm-checker-ulez

[PlaneMan]

My car is exempt. Not an issue for me but nice to know. It really makes no difference as I have a blue badge so I’m exempt from the congestion charge anyway.

[The Duke]

My wife got a blue badge about 18 months ago, after about 3 years of her trying . As of yet we have never used it. And been London twice since!

Think we are going again in April, I’ll get her to look into that.

The news of this checker is of little use to me given I’m about 300 miles away, but thought it may be handy for a few here.

[Bob Williams]

Good link, Steve, thanks. Nolan, quoted:

PlaneMan wrote:

My car is exempt. Not an issue for me but nice to know. It really makes no difference as I have a blue badge so I’m exempt from the congestion charge anyway.

Same situation here Nolan. I do visit London occasionally, mostly friends in High Barnet, which is really almost rural compared to the rest of the place, and does not qualify for the Congestion Charge.. Cannot see us going down to Dulwich again after SWMBO’s lovely old Welsh aunt passed away. Her daughter, SWMBO’s cousin, lives in a very exclusive gated community and it is a real pita to access. TBH, I like the lass and her family, but I hate the absolute nightmare that is getting there. Cannot stand cities anyway, especially London (sorry BL & others, didn’t say Londoners!) and SWMBO feels the same. We is country bumpkins, always have been.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[PlaneMan]

Last time I went to London was to visit my brother in Wimbledon, drove a 1997 Mini Cooper. Had to stop for fuel 3 times, tank was the size of a small jerry can. Took 3 odd hours to get there and another 2 to get across London. That must be 15 years ago, maybe more.

In general I like London but I dislike the noise and pollution intensely. Sadly Cardiff is going the same way slowly.

[JayCeeDee]

I was born a bit outside Central London ( Hornsey Rise – about half-way to Barnet ) and my whole working life was spent in Central London and I enjoyed the buzz of it – so did the wife. Having retired and moved out 9 years ago we hate going back in. The peace of the countryside/seaside is idyllic for us. ??

[Bob Williams]

JayCeeDee wrote:

I was born a bit outside Central London ( Hornsey Rise – about half-way to Barnet ) and my whole working life was spent in Central London and I enjoyed the buzz of it – so did the wife. Having retired and moved out 9 years ago we hate going back in. The peace of the countryside/seaside is idyllic for us.

We know exactly what you mean, JayCeeDee. We live in the middle of rural East Lindsey, just a few miles from the coast. Best of both worlds. I don’t think SWMBO enjoyed me dragging her out to Mablethorpe North End* last Sunday in the teeth of a howling North wind, though!

*The quietest part of the beaches. And the most exposed, up on the Sandhills. My OH was disgruntled.

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

 I don’t think SWMBO enjoyed me dragging her out to Mablethorpe North End* last Sunday in the teeth of a howling North wind, though!

*The quietest part of the beaches. And the most exposed, up on the Sandhills. My OH was disgruntled.

 

And I bet her thoughts on the matter were audible – even over the wind!!!

[wasbit]

What’s more annoying is that they are using taxpayer’s money to advertise the tax charge, well on Gold anyway.

Gold is a dab station playing mainly 60s music. I would tune in to Classic FM but the noise of the power tools & machinery doesn’t do anything for it.

--
Regards
wasbit

Rig 1: Optiplex 3050 SFF
Rig 2: Asus ROG G20CB (rebuilt wreck)
Rig 3: HP Elitebook 8440P

Dear Starfleet, hate you, hate the Federation, taking Voyager. - Janeway

[Ed P]

During my young commuter days, like  some 80% of the population I was a smoker and had a minimal sense of smell. I did not realise at the time what a blessing that was on the Underground. Having given up smoking for over 40 years I now find the ‘honk’ from human body odours on the Tube overwhelming, but I still love the buzz of the city.

[JayCeeDee]

Ed P wrote:

During my young commuter days, like some 80% of the population I was a smoker and had a minimal sense of smell. I did not realise at the time what a blessing that was on the Underground. Having given up smoking for over 40 years I now find the ‘honk’ from human body odours on the Tube overwhelming, but I still love the buzz of the city.

 

At its’ worst standing next to a stinky strap-hanger!!

[Richard]

For just an instant you almost made me nostalgic for the days of working in London, then I thought;

No never again.

A neighbour visits London’s medical services once or twice a year with her disabled child. It takes them days to recover. It is an experience I hope never to go through again. London’s putrid transport makes the it awful for everyone. I sympathise with those whose limitations, physical or mental, make it even worse and for whom there is no escape.

[The Duke]

I was never a fan of the underground. Use to have to do it in the 90s returning to exeter on Sundays. A real pita.

The tube itself is problem a God send to locals, but as a passer-through, I just hated the speed of it. I was usually heavily laid down and, cos it was a Sunday, works was usually ongoing so meant us outsiders was just lost.

Another day of the week, you’d not need to go near London.

[Bob Williams]

JayCeeDee wrote:

I don’t think SWMBO enjoyed me dragging her out to Mablethorpe North End* last Sunday in the teeth of a howling North wind, though! *The quietest part of the beaches. And the most exposed, up on the Sandhills. My OH was disgruntled.

And I bet her thoughts on the matter were audible – even over the wind!!!

What made it worse was that she is waiting for a new hip, complained that she cannot get out and said she is perfectly fit to have a good walk, against my advice. So I took her out.

Every male knows what happens after he is is proved right yet again, OK? ??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I don’t think I’ve ever proven her right. I just seem to get the blame, whether right or wrong. Which I’m never wrong. Lol.

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