Feb. 13 (Bloomberg) -- London Mayor Ken Livingstone said he
will more than triple the daily traffic congestion charge for big
cars in the center of the city to 25 pounds ($47.43) starting
next year, in a bid to improve air quality.
The plan comes as a group of residents in west London said
they are organizing a protest over the extension of the mayor's
congestion charge into their neighborhoods beginning next week.
Livingstone said owners of large cars and sport-utility
vehicles, who now pay 8 pounds a day in the congestion zone, will
pay 25 pounds from June or July of 2008. Owners of big vehicles
who live within the zone will lose their resident discount and
will also pay 25 pounds. Residents now pay 80 pence a day with
the discount when they drive within the zone.
``We think this will be a sufficient deterrent to make
people shift into less-polluting cars,'' the mayor said today at
his weekly news conference. He said in November he was studying
the fee increase, and that it might take effect in 2009.
Livingstone, who says climate change is the biggest issue
facing Londoners, introduced the congestion charge in the central
city in 2003 to reduce traffic, improve air quality and raise
cash for public transportation. The charging zone will be
extended Feb. 19 to take in Kensington & Chelsea, Knightsbridge
and Notting Hill. Many residents are opposed to the move.
``The mayor of London should call a halt to this costly,
unnecessary and damaging tax on west Londoners,'' said Nick
Botterill, a member of the Hammersmith & Fulham Council, in an e-
mailed statement today.
Opponents of the charge, including the West London Residents
Association, will gather a convoy of vehicles for a ``go-slow''
protest through west London on Feb. 17.

Threat of Gridlock

Livingstone played down the protest, saying the congestion
charge has been ``the difference between keeping London moving
and gridlock.'' He also said that traffic in the zone has begun
to increase and the rate of congestion reduction has slowed.
Congestion last year was reduced by 8 percent compared with 30
percent in the year after the charge was introduced, he said.
According to the mayor's plan, owners of vehicles that emit
more than 225 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer, the highest
category for U.K. vehicle tax purposes, would pay the maximum 25
pounds a day charge.
The group ranges from Peugeot 407 station wagons with 3.0-
liter gasoline engines to BMW 760Li and Jaguar XJ sedans with V8
engines to Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover sport utilities,
according to the Department for Transport Web site.
There are no plans to increase charges for smaller vehicles,
Livingstone said.

Drivers' Petition

The Association of British Drivers, which has gathered 1.3
million signatures on a petition to oppose U.K. road fees,
condemned the mayor's plans.
``It's absolutely disgraceful, it's picking on people and
it's just another way of raising tax on motorists,'' said Nigel
Humphries, a spokesman for the association.
Livingstone owns a Toyota Prius, a low-pollution vehicle
that's powered by a gasoline engine and electric motor. The
Prius, and similar models such as the Honda Civic Hybrid are
exempt from the charge.



And now, fire at will!!! F ng....~@!" Range Rover Vogue ‘17 TDV6

Gone: Range Rover Vogue '11 4.4TDV8, Range Rover Sport ‘59, Range Rover Sport ‘56

The sooner they him off the better!!

I haven't been to London for a fair few years now and whilst that idiot is in charge I won't be going in the foreseeable future either.  Arctic Frost TDV6 SE. Aspen Leather, Cherry Wood, Privacy Glass, PTI, Tow Pack, Mudflaps, Tasmods, a new Fuelflap, a RRSport.co.uk umbrella in the boot & a RRSport.co.uk sticker on the rear glass.
__________________

Some people accuse me of thinking the world revolves around me, but I'm not stupid . . . I know it revolves around the sun. Which shines out of my @rse!!!

I feel for you guys down in the big smoke

Yet just another stealth tax

you could say that you are being victimised, and thats illegal some of my Previous cars
--------------------------------
P38 Range Rover Autobiography
RRS 2.7 HSE Silver
RRS TDV8 HSE silver
FFRR Vogue black
Disco3 HSE silver
RRS 2.7 HSE silver
RRS 3.0 HSE BALTI BLUE
______________________________
current vehicles
RRS 3.0 L494 Autobiography
Audi R8 V10 Spyder
AC Cobra
Landrover Defender 90
Landrover Defender 110
Suzuki Jimney

We, in London, live increasingly under a dictatorship!

Loony Livingstone strikes again!

When the hell will the people living in London get rid of this effing lunatic? He is a complete idiot, and it is staggering to me that he is still the mayor.

Also, as an ex-pat, I can not for the life of me understand why the driving public in the UK continue to bend over and take it from the current government. UK drivers are one of the most heavily taxed in the world, and instead of demanding that the idiots in Westminster promote constructive methods to deal with the excess of vehicles on the road, (free or heavily subsidised public transport, anyone?), people just seem to have given up and 'take' whatever the government stuff down their throat. Can't you guys say 'peaceful civil protests'? Tying up various centres of commerce because you want to show the government that not all of the ills in the UK can be placed on the shoulders of the motoring public surely shouldn't be off of the table?
Bish '06 RRS S/C Bonatti Grey/Ebony/Cherry with RSE; PTI; Electronic Rear Diff and Sirius Sat Radio.

The UK govt have just been embarrassed by this e-petition against the road toll scheme which was hosted on the No.10 web site. Obviously some civil servant waiting for retirement allowed it to be hosted and over a million signatures later, they are looking decidedly stupid!  

2009 Outstanding Contribution Award - Joint Runner Up
2009 'Tech-Head Of The Year' Award - Runner Up

Like it here? Then Donate to RRSPORT!!

Excellent  some of my Previous cars
--------------------------------
P38 Range Rover Autobiography
RRS 2.7 HSE Silver
RRS TDV8 HSE silver
FFRR Vogue black
Disco3 HSE silver
RRS 2.7 HSE silver
RRS 3.0 HSE BALTI BLUE
______________________________
current vehicles
RRS 3.0 L494 Autobiography
Audi R8 V10 Spyder
AC Cobra
Landrover Defender 90
Landrover Defender 110
Suzuki Jimney

2 thumbs good!

Is that the same one we all signed up to a few weeks ago? RRS TDV6 Gone but still around
SL55 AMG
760Li Alpina
BMW 535D M Sport
BMW X6 XDrive35D
BMW 320D Coupe M Sport
And A Van For Rex!

WINNER - 2008's Idler Of The Year
WINNER - 2008's Comedian Of The Year
WINNER - 2008's Funniest Incident

I love boobies i love boobies i love boobies cuz i'm a big kid now! (Come on everybody sing with me you know the words!)

JayMann wrote:

Is that the same one we all signed up to a few weeks ago?

Fairly sure it IS Jay.., although I heard it was over a million???

Brian Mason wrote:

JayMann wrote:

Is that the same one we all signed up to a few weeks ago?

Fairly sure it IS Jay.., although I heard it was over a million???

Yep, that's the one...  

2009 Outstanding Contribution Award - Joint Runner Up
2009 'Tech-Head Of The Year' Award - Runner Up

Like it here? Then Donate to RRSPORT!!

however note, the site is only Beta and I have already heard comments from Labour MP's that they cant validate the accuracy of the signatures (i.e. cant be sure people haven't signed twice) so therefore it will be ignored anyway

Sneaky get out clause... MP s!!!!  

2009 Outstanding Contribution Award - Joint Runner Up
2009 'Tech-Head Of The Year' Award - Runner Up

Like it here? Then Donate to RRSPORT!!

I might stand for Mayor and ban all electric cars! 2005 Zambezi TDV6 - Gone but not forgotten
2009 Alaska TDV8 - Gone and much missed.



WINNER - 2009 �Idler Of The Year� Award
Runner Up - 2009 �Just Doing What It�s Designed To Do� Award


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