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Emission impossible
Page 9
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Owner-driver Dick Flute continues his efforts to comply with the London LEZ by having a particulate filter fitted.
The professionalism and knowledge of the Pyroban Envirosafe staff cannot be faulted -they really know their stuff. Reading the terms and conditions in their contract to fit a particulate filter gave me the heebie-jeebies but I was assured it was a catch-all contract designed to pick out operators using nonaccredited fuels and so on.
And the terms of payment were novel for a commercial contract. With fitment scheduled for 1 November, a £500 non-refundable deposit was needed by 28 September and payment in full by 12 October. Normally in commercial contracts surely you pay after the service has been provided?
Having replaced the exhaust system just last year (after a decade), it seemed a costly waste to discard it. But then I realised that this whole low-emission zone (LEZ) scheme was being driven by politics. The huge waste incurred at every level material, monetary, environmental is not a consideration.
Then I heard about the proposals for a Berlin 'environmental zone' headed by Katrin Lompscher, who must have a degree in total ignorance. These hair-brained schemes do appear to be taking hold and woe betide us if they are allowed to proceed. The cost will be enormous in every respect.
In the beginning I did support 'green' issues. Surely only the most stubborn can't see this is the way we have to go, and I applaud Transport for London (TfL) for stressing that we must get pollution levels under control. And yet nearly everything TfL does increases pollution levels. Getting back to basics, the greatest amounts of pollution from large vehicles (or any vehicle) come from the acceleration phase. And yet I've sat in my cab and watched TfL staff deliberately mis-phase traffic lights. Some black cab drivers have kept records to prove it.
I often travel through central London late at night, feeling beyond any doubt the lights are set to turn red just before larger vehicles reach them (if they are obeying the speed limits). This, of course, leads to fairly heavy braking. This happens to such an extent that I almost believe that sensors are in place to deliberately obstruct larger vehicles.
Only this week I saw a news broadcast saying pollution levels in London were way outside acceptable EU levels. Well, surprise, surprise.
"I realised that this whole lowemission zone scheme was being driven by politics. The huge waste incurred.., is not a consideration."