More on the LEZ

There are nicer places to live in the Uk so let's take that as read.
I spoke to TFL - LEZ this morning.0845 607 0009 option 4.
They cofirmed that it is body type that determines whether or not you are affected by the change in regulations.
If weight is below 3.5 tonnes you are ok till January. After 3/1/12 it applies to vehicles below 3.5 tonnes which is where we all come unstuck.
The status of Land Rovers is 'Under review' at present. I got the feeling I'm not the first to ask!!
Those who have got an ok response to the registration check may find that this is not the case come next January.
I asked about getting Land Rover engines added to the list of engines that can qualify for exemption if the emissions can be certified as within the limit. The advice was to email [email protected] with the registration of the vehicle and any points I want to make and they will escalate it to head office.
It's only a question of time before this stretches to other cities so in the spirit of a shared passion can I ask everyone to email TFL to try to at least allow us to be able to get an exemption certificate (RPC) if we can meet the emission levels. Probably hopeless given the number of threads that have 'smoke' of varying colours in the title but I'd at least like the option to try. Thanks Guys.

It wouldn't be so bad if the LEZ wasn't as stupidly huge
Had no idea they were extending it, thanks for the heads up.

Edit: Oh great,

Vehicle: CFJ737Y
Date Status

09 Feb 2011 to 02 Jan 2012
Not Subject to LEZ
What does not subject to the Low Emission Zone mean?

03 Jan 2012 to onwards
Non-Compliant
What does non-compliant mean?
According to our records, the vehicle does not meet the required Low Emission Zone standards at this time.Find out how to comply.If you believe that your vehicle is compliant,please complete the registration form.

If its any help, I checked the old Defender TD5 we had at work and it came through OK

Vehicle: BL02UUE
Date Status

09 Feb 2011 to 02 Jan 2012
Not Subject to LEZ
What does not subject to the Low Emission Zone mean?

03 Jan 2012 to onwards
Compliant
What does compliant mean?

Remember the poll tax riots? This will be an even bigger problem to enforce. Just imagine every vehicle owner who is supposed to pay to enter the LEZ does not. What about foreign registered vehicles? On my next trip to France I'm going to obtain a set of French plates They can send as many pictures and fines to Calais as they like. The courts would collapse under the numbers of people being fined and there are not enough tow trucks or open fields to impound all the non compliant vehicles. It does not take an expert to realise that the cases of people driving around with either none, obscured, false, or cloned number plates will explode beyond imagination as this is camera driven. After all the pikeys have been doing it for decades.

Its even worse when you have no option to but to drive into the city centres (London at the moment but I'll lay money that other cities will follow) because public transport is too expensive or non existant.

I've yet to find a bus or train with a tow bar that can take me to my local wood yard and bring me back with a full trailer of fire wood. I want to travel when I want and not just once an hour and along with road tax, insurance, MOT, and fuel duty I pay more than enough for the priviledge already.

Anyone who thinks that they can impose a £100 per day levy on any form of private motoring is away with the fairies. I guess that describes Boris and Red Ken to perfection though?

Up the revolution !

The problem I have with the LEZ is the huge area it covers, if it was say the same as the congestion charge zone then it wouldn't be too much of a gripe as I avoid that anyway, but if I've got it right then parts of the M1, M4, M3 etc are within the LEZ...what the hell is that about.

The initial proposed area was everything within and INCLUDING the M25. This includes Heathrow so if your mum was to use her diesel engined people carrier to drop you at the airport at three in the morning (because the trains and busses are not running) it would cost her £100. The uproar was immediate and Red Ken trimmed the area to placate the airlines and air freight companies.

Quite simply its greed. The law abiding motorist is an easy target. No other country in the EU takes any notice of what Brussells says unless it suits them. The French and Spanish still smoke in restaraunts with impunity. The French burn British beef to prop their own meat trade up and their police stand by and do nothing. Need I go on?

Without wishing to be a doom-monger I can see blood getting spilt over this as anybody that uses a diesel powered van or 4x4 (I have no doubt that cars will soon follow) will get hit. £100 per day is more than most tradesmen get paid after tax and expenses so its just not viable. The numbers of unemployed will rocket as builders etc. go out of business. Even if you were to pay the LEZ charge you still have to pay the congestion charge and then parking to go to London.

I was born and bred in South London but chose to move out because I could trade my house for one twice the size because people were prepared to pay silly money to live in certain areas. My parents and siblings are not so lucky.