Money Talks: Driving Taxes in Great Britain
by Celine Ruben-Salama, New York, NY on 10.26.06
We learned this week that the Brits are a wasteful bunch indeed, and traffic is no exception. London suffers the worst traffic congestion in the UK and amongst the worst in Europe. Apparently, London drivers spend 50 percent of their time stuck in traffic. In an attempt to combat the issue London drivers who use their cars in the central city during the day are being charged for the pleasure. Congestion Charging was devised to minimize inner city traffic. Essentially it’s a tax for driving. By law, the money raised goes towards London‘s public transportation facilities benefiting the general public.
Merely six months after the introduction of the astonishingly successful scheme, auto traffic decreased by 30 percent while bus and taxi ridership rose by 20 percent. Net city traffic was reduced by 18 percent. Anyone interested in doing a “back-of-the-envelope” calculation on reduced CO2 emissions, gasoline “saved” or other, please post your findings in the comments section for everyone's benefit.
Emboldened by the city’s success, a pilot program is afoot in Richmond upon Thames in south-west London. The suburb has implemented a radical plan in order to tackle climate change. The results will be closely watched by local authorities and greenies alike who hope the program can be implemented successfully nationwide.
The basic concept of the program is simple: pollute more, pay more. Owners of gas-guzzling vehicles will be charged up to £450 (approximately $850) a year to park outside their own homes under the plan. Conversely, “[o]wners of cleaner cars such as a Toyota Prius hybrid will be rewarded with discounts, and drivers of the least polluting vehicles will park for free.”
Whether or not the the pinch-at-the-purse-strings approach will cause people to change their environmentally degrading habits or not remains to be seen.
::guardian unlimited ::via scienceblogs
The problem with this, and so many British transport based policies is that its seen as a purely money generating scheme.
If you look at the details of the proposals by Richmond, pretty much EVERY internal combustion engined vehicle will see a rise in charges. Electric cars will be free, the prius will gain you a reduced permit fee but a Nissan Micra will see a 10% increase whilst a Renault espace people carrier will find itself in the top bracket along with the so called gas guzzling Land Rover. Its all very well hoping that a higher charge will result in a lower concentration of vehicles, but this only ever accepts the poorest users. If you can afford a house in richmond and a range rover, a few extra £££ won't mean much. If you rent and own an old banger, you'll basically be driven out.
There is no system for rewarding drivers who make an effort to be responsible but can't afford a brand new Prius.
I myself drive a 16 year old Land Rover Discovery, I can achieve 30MPG in Diesel and can carry 6 passengers (in safety, each having a seat belt) but I'm venerated as evil because of what I drive by the media and "friends of the Earth". But think on this: My vehicle is shorter than a Ford Mondeo (one of the most sold cars in the UK), I can carry more passengers than a family hatchback and can carry more "cargo" than a family hatchback. I use my vehicle to drive to work everyday, often its just me but I live in the middle of nowhere so its hard to lift share. I use my vehicle for off-road driving and as a member of a local offroading group, we regularly spend the day maintaining local greenlanes (public roads used as paths/bridleways mostly not accesible by "normal" cars). To top it all I run on 50% vegetable Oil.
Why am I not rewarded for my efforts? I'm charged 47p tax for every litre of veg oil I use, even if its recycled from a local fast food store. The governemtn wants to raise road tax for my vehicle because of its engine size and the media thinks I'm a baby murderer.
Wheres my initiative?
I learned in one conversation with a Londoner during a visit that the Congestion Tax is generating something like a million pounds a day which should someday be seen in the public transit system.
Is the above post a wind-up?
"The problem with this, and so many British transport based policies is that its seen as a purely money generating scheme."
It is obviously not a "purely money-generating scheme". If it were it would not differentiate between different vehicles. It is sensibly implementing the polluter pays principle.
"Its all very well hoping that a higher charge will result in a lower concentration of vehicles, but this only ever accepts the poorest users. If you can afford a house in richmond and a range rover, a few extra £££ won't mean much. If you rent and own an old banger, you'll basically be driven out."
Or you could walk, use a bicycle or public transport like the 25% of households in Richmond who don't have a car.
"There is no system for rewarding drivers who make an effort to be responsible but can't afford a brand new Prius."
There is. It consists of exemption from the tax and it can be availed of by not having a (Prius or any other) car.
"I myself drive a 16 year old Land Rover Discovery, ... I use my vehicle to drive to work everyday, often its just me but I live in the middle of nowhere so its hard to lift share."
So you don't actually live in Richmond? Is it just that you identify with other people with inefficient vehicles?
I own and drive a diesel-powered M1 Abrams tank. It's interior has been modified to incorporate 9 seats. This means I can drive 9 people in complete safety (all have seatbelts) as opposed to a Prius which can only hold 5. (Admittedly, I rarely if ever have more than two or three people in the tank at once, but it is the thought that counts.) The tank has been further modified to reduce its weight and the metal treads have been substituted for special wheels filled with nitrogen gas. All of the modifications made enable me to get 25 MPG on a good driving day, which is not bad at all considering what some larger SUVs get. Furthermore, I use a 50-50 mix of biodiesel fuel, further reducing the emissions from my tank. My 15 year old tank is reliable and sturdy and serves all my needs. And I can't afford to buy a fancy Prius, or even a small Yaris. Or any small car for that matter. Of course, when I bought my tank, I could have used that money to buy several small used compacts instead of my beloved Abrams, but the fact is that I now have an Abrams and can not now afford another car. Well, if I sold my Abrams, I could probably get enough to buy a new Yaris. But why would I do that since my M1 Abrams is a green machine as is - just look at the exterior paint. It doesn't blend in with nature any better. So I too think these parking fees to be inappropriate. I try to make my tank as efficient as possible. That should count for something. At least as much as the discount that a Prius would get.
shut up you speak rubbish leave 4x4's alone