Some cars, like Daihatsu Sirion, Toyota Prius, G-Whiz Electric etc. are exempted from Congestion Charge.
For Prius or G-Whiz, I understand the environmental reason.
But for other cars with less than 120g CO2 emission, what is the point of allowing them to ply without charge? If everyone buys those cars, there will be again massive congestion as well. So, will be back to squre one soon.
So, what's the point?
TBH, I feel even Prius or G-whiz should be charged as well. It's Congestion charge not pollution charge!
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Don't forget a 9 seat LWB Landrover Defender is also exempt! That might produce a little more than 120g/Km of CO2. You just have to register it.
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its a tax pure and simple
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Well the rationale for the congestion charge has morphed from one of merely reducing the volume of cars in central London to now attempting to reduce the the CO2 impact of traffic. However there are alot of illogical effects of the congestion charge as it is now set up ie that as you say there is a chance that too many people will switch to low CO2 cars and thereby the volume of vehicles will increase. I can actually see that many households may become 2 car households (ie buy extra cars) if they can find space to park a G wizz/under 120g car and use the latter for weekday city travel and have a bigger vehicle for out of town travel.
What I think is hugely illogical is giving such a large (90%) discount to residents inside the zone. They are effectively being encouraged to keep using a car when they have even less reason than someone outside the zone who pays full whack. I'd reduce the discount to something more like 20% or scrap it entirely. There are far too many people driving large cars around central London based on the resident's discount. The mayor actually admitted that extending the zone has increased traffic volumes as more people in the zone now qualify for a discount and are effectively encouraged to start driving again.
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>>They are effectively being encouraged to keep using a car when they have even less reason than someone outside the zone who pays full whack.
The discount is fantastic. Not least because you can only buy it a week at a time. So if you use the car one day a week, you have to pay £4 for the whole week. I love it. I can drive to work. (Or more honestly, I could have done to my previous job where the CC meant that there was always car parking. Here it is NCP at £20 per day...)
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>>Don't forget the LR is exempt
As is the LPG converted Series II. And LPG presumably produces more than 120g CO2 per km.
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At present cars on Powershift list are exempt from the charge. This means hybrids, proper LPG conversions (whether or not they actually use LPG) plus minibuses. To have Toyota/Lexus hybrids exempt whilst lower polluting cars pay is clearly ridiculous and suggested to me that Toyota might be lining Ken's pockets!
Changes are planned for next Feb. to make it environmental-based charge. Any car producing 120g CO2/km or less will qualify for exemption (ruling out many LPG conversions and Lexus hybrids that are currently exempt). More controversially, high C02 cars will have to pay £25 and residents discounts for high polluters are to go.
If you are going to tax/charge, I suppose it makes sense to base it on emissions, from a clean air point of view, but there will always be loop-holes. At least those who actually DO need a car won't have to pay it.
More info on the CCLondon website.
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