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LEZ: NOT SO MUCH CONSULT AS INSULT
Page 10
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The consultation document for London's Low Emission Zone has just arrived, carried no doubt by the filthy smog-drenched air drifting past the Mayor's office. Let's be clear: Commercial Motorsupports clean air initiatives. We support the idea of curbing vehicle emissions as a route to improved public health, enhanced quality of life and reduced greenhouse gases.
What we can't and won't ever support is the electoral bias which leads national and local government to focus on essential industry in a bid to hit its emissions targets, rather than cleaning up the great mass of cars which pump out far more pollutants than the relatively small number of trucks on our roads.
"Clearly losing your business is seen as less punitive than having
No one argues with the idea of tougher emissions limits. This industry is starting to move through Euro-3 to Euro-4, with operators trying to see the benefits despite the added financial burdens the technology escalator brings. The LEZ will require Euro-3 compliance by 2008 (unless you want to pay a hefty daily charge) yet Transport for London admits that most operators are already meeting this standard. It also accepts that smaller operators are likely to be hit hardest as they generally run older vehicles. But the very same argument is turned on its head to protect car drivers. Evidently it would be unfair to impose emissions standards on motorists because those driving the older vehicles ie the poorest would be most affected. So when it comes to protecting the underprivileged, clearly losing your business is seen as less punitive than having to take the bus to school.
By all means let's clean up the air. But let's do it in a way that makes sense and will substantially change the situation we find ourselves in. That must make more sense than enacting some vote-winning charade which will side-step all the real issues and achieve precisely nothing. We should all take part in the consultation process. Our industry should inundate the powers-that-be with informed opinion until we know they're hearing us over the distant echo of election night.