Driving in (or through) London after October 2021

[Mr. Cricket]

There’s so much traffic about you can’t do more than 20 mph in most north London boroughs. Yesterday my 12/13 mile commute from central london took over 2 hours.

Yesterday I came off the A40 into nose-to-tail all the way to St. Pancras as the 2 lanes each way were now one with an empty cycle lane all the way. Absolute nuts. As for the 20 zones, I find it impossible to keep to 20. Couple of weeks ago I had room after a yellow box until some cock head moved over and filled MY spot resulting in me being a foot into the yellow box. Fined, appealed, refused, suck it and pay bitch. Last week was a bus lane donation. I need to pay more attention

 

[Nassau65]

I’ve had the yellow box cut in done to me many times, appealed, refused. I don’t even bother now, I just pay up. It’s all about getting money from the motorist. I’m pretty careful on bus lanes, never given them anything.

 

[Roscobbc]

20 years ago when I had a office in Blackwall Basis (next to Canary Wharf) and the GLC were proposing the congestion charge zones in local resident meeting I argued the case that rigidly enforced red routes in to central London and vehicles travelling at a constant speed were the answer for reduced congestion. I quickly realised that this was a 'done deal' and there was no way back.
Unfortunately most people do not realise that the local planning meeting being held jointly by local authorities and TFL were a 100% whitewash. Under the pretex of local residents and businesses being given the opportunity to contribute to the future planning and hopefully having some form of input. No, not so - the local authority is obliged legally to allow local residents and businesses to attend meeting and voice any objections...........however the local authority is NOT legally bound to consider, act or negociate any points or objects raised by the residents and business. So there we have it - major road planning steamrollers through whether the 'locals' want it or not.
IMHO it all part of a long term plan force vehicular traffic on to an ever decreasing number of roads knowing that it will cause additional pollution - that is what the local authorities want to enable them to drive us all off the roads - or - charge us dearly if we dare to go out in them.

 

[Redlevel]

20 mph blanket speed limits and threats of £60 fines I would rather get my bike out !!

Got it in one.. That's the plan!

 

[Redlevel]

I’ve had the yellow box cut in done to me many times, appealed, refused. I don’t even bother now, I just pay up. It’s all about getting money from the motorist. I’m pretty careful on bus lanes, never given them anything.

Councils have longed to be able to raise some kind of taxes and they finally managed that with speed cameras until an embarrassed govt insisted the cameras were for road safety and not to collect cash, so councils had the fine income taken off them and were given a 'road safety' grant every year instead.
This is why some councils removed their speed cameras (and the maintenance charges of them) and got their police to do more. I think Swindon was the first.
No wonder we get so many people from down south moving up here. Our wee village here near Maybole / Trump Turnberry Golf Course, has about 300 residents, most of them including my wife have moved up from England and Wales. Its quite rare to hear a Scottish accent now, at first I thought it was just holidaymakers and tourists..

 

[Daytona Vette]

Something Fishy up there with the Lady wanting Independence, so she can hopefully join the EU where she then looses the very independence that she has been fighting for - Women's logic
Charges and Penalties - I am getting the Bike out ready - it's a V8 (with no Plates)

 

[Roscobbc]

I think that motorists in certain areas in Scotland seem to have major issues with Plod seemingly persecuting anything on two or four wheels - perhaps little else to do (I doubt that) or easy targets?

 

[Chuffer]

Become a Pikey and you will get let off with breaking every law in the land !

 

[Mr. Cricket]

It gets worse

Classic car owners face £650 bill to drive in London under new Ultra Low Emissions Zone | Express.co.uk

 

[Chuffer]

Where is London ? I never go there .

 

[Roscobbc]

Typically TFL's website is full of confusion, lack of information and contradicting coments.
Ultra Low Emission Zone. If your car is 40 years old or more (so MOT exempt and with zero rated RFL) whilst you will still have to pay the recently elevated daily congestion charge to enter the 'INNER' congestion charge zone (so the zone that has been running for several years) you will NOT have to pay the ULEZ charge.
TFL's website does not give clear information relating to this and seems to 'encourage' registering your vehicle at an annual cost of £10 on their system (as you normally do for the standard congestion charge) - the presumption then is that when entering the ULEZ zone your vehicle is zero rated and not charged against your credit card.
I have heard (to be confirmed) that if your vehicle is compliant you don't need to register it.
However - for those of us with any petrol powered car or light van that was manufactured between 1980 and 2004/2006 then you WILL have to pay the ULEZ charge (although some earlier cars are compliant) If you have a diesel vehicle you're really stuffed as the break point for compliance is 2016 I believe)
Anyone with 'grey' imported post 2006 or so Vette will probably best check out their car for compliance before driving through the ULEZ zone.
The 'borders' of the extended ULEZ zone are basically the A406 North and South Circular roads.
Khan's future intention is to extend the charge zones all the way out to the M25 and for all outer London residents be forced to pay a daily charge to drive within their own borough's.
Thinking to yourselves "well I just won't drive in to London - so it doesn't affect me" perhaps.......but several larger UK municiple authorities already have plans to introduce thier own similar schemes...........

 

[Nassau65]

Just went on the TFL website to check on the ULEZ for my 65, it said it’s payable. I remember reading that if it’s over 40 years old the ULEZ is not payable. Not very clear at the moment.

 

[Roscobbc]

Are you registered on the TLF website? - I've heard it said that if you try to register it won't take the money but add you and your vehicle to the system? - so they say

 

[Chuffer]

And despite all of this , people still voted Ghengis Khan in for another term of office !

 

[Roscobbc]

And despite all of this , people still voted Ghengis Khan in for another term of office !

I perhaps think we all know the answer why.....

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Where is London ? I never go there .

I doubt my Corvettes will ever travel in London either but alas, I do have to for work. It's madness turning over entire lanes to cyclists that use them in rush hour only pretty much and even then those that don't sale through on red park their padded Lycra clad arses and too-tight fitting shirts in front of the cars at red lights reducing the number of cars that get through. Then there's the endless lines of EMPTY buses blocking the roads. Pay for that!? I don't think so..

 

[Mr. Cricket]

Khan's future intention is to extend the charge zones all the way out to the M25 and for all outer London residents be forced to pay a daily charge to drive within their own borough's.

Jesus H that is a big catchment area

Thinking to yourselves "well I just won't drive in to London - so it doesn't affect me" perhaps.......but several larger UK municiple authorities already have plans to introduce thier own similar schemes...........

There has been mutterings of this in Manchester but nothing decided yet thank god but then, same thing, I'll only go into the city ctr on business. Much prefer it out in the sticks. Took one out last night on a flying lap around the Peak District which is on my doorstep.

 

[Chuffer]

Simple solution , eliminate all money grabbing politicians . Come the revolution I say .

 

[Nassau65]

Living within the M25 I must say that driving within that area is not nice nowadays. Constant traffic wherever you go, whatever day of the week. And I’m sorry to say It will only get worse.

 

[Roscobbc]

We really need to emulate the French - they would simply blockade all roads, local authority offices and simply overload the 'system' by not paying.........remember when fuel prices were on the up and the fuel tankers were blocked from distributing fuel? - yes, that worked........but I seem to recall that during the final days of the Blair 'New Labour' administration they made the blockading of 'essential' fuel supplies an equivalent activity to terrorism with penalties to match. Thats the problem having a lawyer like Blair (or Cameron)