Despite the fact more than 32 million people in the UK have a driving licence – around 75% of all adults – being a driver can sometimes feel like belonging to a marginalised, maligned group. A bit like being in the Moonies. Drivers seem to carry the can for global warming, although quite why the shipping and aviation industry don’t get whacked over the head nearly as much is a mystery. If you drive a car in a city, especially London, you’ll likely feel the heat even harder, with each week that passes seeming to bring more road closures and charges.
Nearly 40% of people in the UK drive to work. While many could feasibly switch to public transport a large number cannot, which puts them in a difficult position. If you can’t afford to stop driving then you simply have to suck up all the new rules and regulations which often seem to benefit only those who live in places where alternative transport is a viable option. The biggest issue is the looming ban on sales of new petrol and diesel cars, which will effectively force UK drivers to buy electric cars from 2030 onwards. As we know EVs at the moment are usually more expensive, less practical and difficult to charge for many.
Let’s look at the issues which are making UK drivers feel like they are the enemy.
Clean air zone charges
The AA recently warned that up to half a million motorists face being ‘priced off the roads’ in 2021 due to the expanding Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) in London and Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone, which comes into force on June 1. Any driver with a pre-Euro 4 petrol or pre-Euro 6 diesel car has to pay £12.50 to drive in the ULEZ area, which from October 8 is set to expand to all areas within the north and south circular roads – effectively the whole of London, bar the outer suburbs. The same rules apply to the Clean Air Zone in Birmingham, except the fee will be £8.
The AA’s research suggests in London up to 400,000 non-compliant cars will be affected, combining those which are already in the expanding area and those which will need to enter it. It’s estimated 100,000 non-compliant cars will be affected by Birmingham’s Clean Air Zone. A quick bit of maths shows that, based on 261 working days a tear, it would cost someone £3,250 to commute in London each day, and £2,088 in Birmingham.
Low traffic neighbourhoods
Low traffic neighbourhoods are areas in towns and cities where local authorities close off roads to traffic, and they are cropping up all over the country. Drivers caught using them face a £130 fine, but supporters claim they help reduce pollution. Low traffic neighbourhoods effectively put a stop to people taking ‘rat runs’ to get around a city quicker, pushing all traffic to the main roads surrounding the area – and that’s the point where the logic starts to look a bit shaky. While pollution may drop on the closed off roads, it increases on the main roads. Emergency services may also struggle to access low traffic neighbourhoods because they are often physically closed off. One council in London has already raked in over £1 million in fines from drivers using low traffic neighbourhoods. Drivers are being forced to spend more time on their commute, add more pollution to already-heavily affected roads, or pay a steep fine if they mistakenly find themselves where they are not meant to be.
Combustion engine sales ban
This is the big one. Come 2030 all sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned. That doesn’t mean you can’t still drive the petrol or diesel car you already own, but you’ll be on borrowed time because your next car will have to be an alternative fuel car, most likely electric. A number of issues currently surround the adoption of electric cars. First of all, they are almost always more expensive than the equivalent petrol or diesel option. For example, the petrol model of the new Vauxhall Mokka starts at £20,753. The electric version starts at £30,840. Second, electric cars are only a viable option for those who can easily and regularly plug them in to charge. So if you don’t have a private driveway or workplace with charging docks, you’re pretty much screwed. A recent report from energy supplier Centrica found, via a Freedom of Information request submitted to 400 local councils, only 9,317 new public charging points are being scheduled for the next four years. Even with that paltry number, public chargers are often already in use and rarely within convenient distance of your home.
Local authority fines
Discussions are currently being had over the possibility of giving local authorities the power to prosecute for minor traffic offences, such as using a cycle lane or entering a one-way street from the wrong direction. Councils could bring in Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras (ANPR) to catch people breaking the rules, something only London and Cardiff councils are currently authorised to do. Critics see this as an opportunity for councils to make money off motorists, which will in turn incentivise them to pursue as many fines as possible.
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Keyword: Are UK motorists under attack?