Forum Topic

Ulez insanity

Could not help but notice that several left turn cul-de-sacs along Mortlake Road, South Circular Road have signs and cameras enforcing the Ulez extension.The even more bizarrely so are the access roads to the Kew retail Park, The National Archive/Public Records office Townmead road depot and Mortlake Crematorium.All of these a not through routes but are access to public facilities some of which are taxpayer funded.But insanely this stuffs up all this older people who volunteer and generally have older cars, who do the shopping, medicine pick ups and take out other less mobile people.The people last able to afford to renew a vehicle or use it sparingly or are at the bottom of the affordability scale are yet again the biggest affected group.Utterly insane.

Raymond Havelock ● 915d9 Comments

The problem is TfL will not disclose of that figure just how many are actually high polluting vehicles.Most vehicles under 22 years old are very low apart from Diesels which are lower from around 12 years.Well maintained vehicles of that age meet all the regulatory emissions when tested and usually well within the parameters.  They just picked an age category based on Bus and truck Euro 6 parameters. Whereas an MoT readout should be enough to exempt an older vehicle if it meets the low end of the emissions test.Chances are it's a low use vehicle in any case.The whole thing is based on over 80% of vehicles being in daily use meeting that criteria.Except with natural change, that figure has dropped to just 20% and this assumes daily heavy use.So quite how the Toxic air is going to diminish by 80% is incredible. But with all the data banded about coming from funded organisations and no totally independent sources or comparison figures hardly a surprise. It's a claim no-one can actually verify - either way.Fact is they are unable to produce the daily usage figures for restricted vehicles because they do not know ( or want to know) and have never conducted a survey with actual use. It's all been done by modelling with minimal micro surveys. We know from Covid that this can be way off the mark and how necessary more thorough surveying is needed without paymaster interventions.So a significant amount is likely to be older low mileage vehicles with occasional use ( probably shopping trip and long distance occasional trips) and the remainder will be those run by those on low incomes for whom a vehicle is vital to a modest livelihood, and older people who very often use a car for helping others who are mobility restricted.  These people ( both those in need and those who address that need) never get factored in to anything be it LTNs, CPZs, ULEZ and their contribution to ordinary humanitarian life.

Raymond Havelock ● 913d

According to TfL’s latest estimates, as reported in the Standard yesterday, some 100,000 cars, 35,000 vans and 2,000 HGVs are registered in the expanded zone. Collectively they will generate about £2million daily.There’s your real motivation. Kerching!!!

Simon Hayes ● 913d

I'm not as optimistic as you regarding the fate of the retail park. However, cannot agree about the ULEZ signage, and don't know if you've looked online to check if your car is ULEZ compliant?  If you have then you'll know you have to read it very carefully. It's easy to confuse the congestion charge with the ULEZ charge!

Vanessa Smith ● 914d

I hope you're right that the Retail Park isn't going anywhere any time soon, Raymond, but the sale of most of it to developers suggests otherwise.

Susan Kelly ● 914d

Fact is the retail park serves a large part of Brentford, Chiswick and Ealing and has a major pharmacy.It won't be going anytime soon.The carbon footprint of all the roadworks, cameras, facilities housing the databases and producing the fines and the staffing way exceeds the net gain.Unbelievable mistruths from the Mayor and TfL spokespersons on the 'significant' change this will make.Quite how less than 20% and rapidly dropping non compliant vehicles will reduce N0x by 80% is remarkable.Overlooked is that 80% of the non compliant vehicles are actually by age and not by emissions and most will match the low emissions of cars 5  years old.many low mileage 20 year old cars in good condition and properly maintained often yield the same results at MoTs as cars of 3 years at their first test.So an utter waste of resources. to cure a overblown and factually distorted problem by creating mass hysteria.Shameful that the BBC and news media do not ask this Mayor pertinent and challenging questions particularly about sources he and TfL regularly quote.Even I have noticed that figures have changed and the total evasion of Coroners verdicts in data.This warping of things is as detrimental to the real nub of climate issues and the continuing brushing aside of global and urban overpopulation and densification.It has to be discussed holistically.

Raymond Havelock ● 914d

Vanessa, Barclay Homes have already bought the freehold of a chunk of Kew Retail Park. I suspect the part not occupied by MnS. I have no issue with the TFL signage. They are attempting to warn motorists of the change. There will still be a large number who will plead ignorance....

Iain Muir ● 914d

I have been discussing this with several members of the G15 residents' group, who have submitted an official letter of concern to TfL. Really, TfL should have recognised that the difference between the North Circular should have meant more flexibility south of the river as to where the ULEZ border went. At Kew, the border should have followed the river at least as far as the Clifford Avenue junction so that the whole of Kew was outside. There would have been fewer cameras to put up as well.

Ian Speed ● 914d

While I am supportive of ULEZ the implementation, like many of the hapless Khan's schemes through his 'untouchable' TfL9, lacks any semblance of common sense. Should sit well with the Politburo in Hounslow and the yoghourt-knitters in Richmond.

N V Brooks ● 914d

The signage and the information online regarding ULEZ is abysmal. I really don't give much for Kew Retail Park surviving, never mind, I'm sure some greedy developer paymaster of the government is eyeing it up for yet more flats! How can we support retail outlets and shops when it's being made more and more difficult? What with LTNs and now this, it can only mean yet more of us shopping online.

Vanessa Smith ● 915d