Luxury carmaker Porsche has thrown down the gauntlet to London Mayor Ken Livingstone, saying his planned introduction of a 25-pound charge for gas-guzzlers to enter the capital is unfair, will not cut CO2 emissions and will deter business.
Livingstone himself, author of the original eight-pound London congestion charge, says Porsche’s legal challenge is just a stunt and amounts to an attack on Londoners.
Transport for London estimates that some 33,000 vehicles will be liable for the higher charge when it starts on Oct. 27.
“Nobody needs to damage the environment by driving a gas-guzzling Chelsea tractor in central London,” says Livingstone, who is up for re-election May.
Do you agree with him?
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14 comments so far
Being a new porsche owner and working in the city this decision only infuriates me i have just purchased my car around two weeks ago and now if i wish to drive into work it will cost me 25 pounds ken livingstone is ridiculous its just a chance for the government to squeeze more money out of the tax payers pockets, I wonder if mr livingstone pays the congestion charge???
- Posted by Alfred GreenAbsolutely ridicolous. Ken’s going crazy. For a wealthy family (which is really, let’s face it, Ken’s target) instead of taking 6 people into the city and paying £25, would just take two cars and pay £16. Less cost, double the emissions, double the space on the road etc. Ken is an idiot, Boris for mayor!
- Posted by SDCthis tax is unfair on all.many other processes
- Posted by kevincause more damage and waste.leaking sewers in london,rats every where,boats up and town the thames and much more
why the car has to be singled out,i wont travel by train because ,it is cheaper by car in view of the cost of rail fares.as for dumping rubbish is not allowed,i thought it was ,we have ken livingstone,lets hope the pit pony retires soon
I totally support Ken Livingstone’s extra charge for high polluting cars in London.
Porsche’s challenge is ridiculous. I am sure that it is possible to do business in London without a Porsche! Most of the people they are talking about will not even notice the extra drain from their annual bonuses anyway.
However I wish that Ken would stop using 4 x 4 as a generic term for gas guzzlers. It includes the Fiat 1.2 litre 4 x 4 for one! Most of the big x 2 MPVs also use high quantities of fuel and are equally space greedy, not to mention Rolls, Bentley, Jaguar and Mercedes.
What is needed is a formula that would take into account both consumption and level of pollution. Rating cars just on one of the other factor is misleading.
- Posted by Michael OrganeFreedom of choice. That is one of the fundamental rights in this capitalist country. We work to earn the money to buy what we want and to pay taxes to support society. Before buying an expensive car we get taxed on our income, we then get charged more VAT for an expensive car and of course we pay more road and fuel tax.
- Posted by AlanWHO THE HELL IS KEN TO TAX US AGAIN, AS IF HAVING THE CAR WE CHOOSE IS SOMEHOW MORALLY WRONG?
“Congestion” was always rubbish, it has made no long term effect on congestion despite the twisted stats Ken will preach. Now the PR people think they can justify taxing us another £25 because with correct wording and timing public opinion will think he is doing this for the right reasons. WRONG, it is a simple money making scheme, no doubt.
NOT FAIR CHARGE - VEHICLES SHOULD BE JUDGED ON EMISSIONS NOT ENGINE SIZE
WILL NOT HELP ENVIRONMENT AS NUMBER OF EMISSION SAVES NOT ENOUGH
JUST ANOTHER SILLY MONEY MAKING SCHEME
IF CHARGE HAS TO BE DONE THEN AT LEAST HAVE A SYSTEM WHICH ONLY CHARGES VEHICLES WHICH CONSTANTLY ENTER CENTRAL LONDON AND NOT ONES THAT ENTER LESS THAN 20 TIMES A YEAR
- Posted by Yousaff KhanI bet Red Ken will not have to pay the tax nor Brown and his cronies.
- Posted by John PriceKen is absolutely out of touch with reality,
- Posted by RoyAny real impact on Co2 reduction will only be realised if all the taxis, buses, delivery trucks, trains etc are converted to gas or electric, not to mention all the other forms of transport concentrated on the capital.
As a once potential visitor to London from ‘up North’ I will be avoiding the capital like the plague. Carry on like this Red Ken and you will be on your own pal!
Livingstone is a little bit chicken on this matter. He should either charge a minimum of GBP200 a day including weekends or just merely stop all such cars from entering Greater London.
There is no justification to pander to a bling car salesman.
- Posted by Peter GudeMy heart bleeds for those who have just purchased their new gas guzzlers especially those who are on the poverty line like porsche owners. Its a disgrace the anyone should prevent those who wish to emit vast amounts of CO2, when there only wish is to show how narrow minded they really are and how little they care about anyone else. I will immediately set up a new campaign to help those poor individuals who drive such high emitters in London! NOT!
- Posted by MattI voted for Ken because I was in favour of the anti-congestion measures, which in large measure have worked well. He has now corrupted that mandate into an envy tax disguised as an anti-pollution tax. It is ill thought out, may create more congestion, and I would not have voted for it.
- Posted by richard tit will make sense if Ken changes all the black cab and buses to run on LPG !
- Posted by kennyThe clue is in the name - Red Ken.
Socialism - the politics of greed and envy.
- Posted by Mike TThe £25 daily charge for gas guzzlers is just a revenue raising exercise, it will not stop the wealthy from driving around London, but will penalise others who need a people carrier for their family or other requirements.
- Posted by David EmmersonKen, I voted for you at the last two elections but you will not be getting my vote this time.