Green campaigners have moved to counter Porsche’s attempts to overturn the proposed £25 a day congestion charge for vehicles in Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) Band G.
The car giant is seeking a judicial review of the increased charge arguing that it “is illegal for the Mayor to introduce this policy” – a claim disputed by the Mayor who points to the powers granted to him in the reater London Authority Act 1999.
Now Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s have joined forces to oppose Porsche with their own petition which asks Londoners to back the scheme.
Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said the “initiative by these green organisations is very welcome and shows the strength of opinion on this issue.”
Livingstone is seeking to make the intervention by the German owned carmaker an election issue, commenting: “As Boris Johnson opposes the policy of a £25 gas guzzler charge there is a very straightforward way of deciding on whether it should proceed, which is to vote for or against it on May 1st.”
“A vote for me will be a vote against Porsche’s aim of removing this decision from the hands of Londoners by hightailing off to the courts, as well as a vote for real action against climate change – the biggest threat to our planet’s future. Boris Johnson’s opposition to the CO2 charge on gas guzzlers shows that he and the Conservative party have no solutions to the problems of the 21st Century.”
There been support also from Green Party Mayoral candidate Sian Berry who accused Porsche of a “petulant temper-tantrum” and said its legal action “is ultimately doomed to failure”.
Ms berry said “Their attempt to interfere in our decisions as a city is just insulting; if Londoners don’t want the CO2 Charge, they can vote against it by backing Johnson or Paddick in May. If they do, they’ll
vote for me or Ken Livingstone. We don’t need corporate lawyers making the city’s decisions for us.”
“85% of Londoners support higher charges for gas guzzlers, and I’m asking that majority to refuse to be shouted down by Porsche’s lobbyists. Please join me in signing the Alliance Against Urban 4x4s petition, and teach Porsche that you can’t bully London.”
Links: www.porschejudicialreview.co.uk
www.stopurban4x4s.org.uk/petition_porsche.htm
Lee White says
March 10, 2008 at 9:21 pmCharge selfish 4×4 more. Morons who drive 4×4 are destroying our planet, poisoning the air we breathe and polluting the enviroment that my family and I live and work in. Selfish and vain drivers who insist on this anti- social and vile behaiviour of driving 4×4 digusts and revolts me. I live and work in London. It is my home. Keep your poison away from my children !
gc says
February 27, 2008 at 7:11 pmNow that the congestion charge is co2 based I hope Mr.Livingstone is aware of a cars whole-life or `dust to dust` energy cost rating. The energy used in building, transporting, servicing and scrapping technically more complex vehicles (hybrids) means that,over their entire life-cycle, they cause more pollution than conventionals cars.
Best preforming car was a Jeep Wrangler 4×4 with a dust to dust energy cost of less than one fifth that of a Toyota Prius.
Chris says
February 25, 2008 at 7:37 amThe difference between Porsche and the likes of Ken and Sian is that Porsche are not a bunch of bullies trying to impose their brand of social engineering upon the people of London.
Tony Lacle says
February 25, 2008 at 9:47 amAnother wonderful way of persecuting the motorist whilst keping themselves above the tax. I am sure that Tsar Ken and all of his cronies will be happy to pay the £25.00 a day if necesarry as they will just claim it back on their expense claims, which are paid for by the Public.
I have to drive from Yorkshire to London on a reguar basis and will NOT be driving a little town car 200 miles down the M1!
So if this charge is brought in, I will stop coming down. Good result Ken, 1 less car on your streets. Bravo.
Our depot there will of course be closed. So 1 less car, 8 less jobs and everyone dealing with us will be charged the £25.00 as an extra (we will still be charged when delivering), which they will have to charge their customers, the public.
So the public can pay more for their goods, whilst paying the extra for Ken, his cronies, and all of the MP’s to drive their big powerful cars around (They did vote for themselves to get £50,000 Jags each – paid for by us).
And all of this with the ever polluting taxis and buses which crawl around congesting your streets and clogging up your lungs.
Thi should be called the ‘get the public off the road so that we can get around better’ tax.
Be honest Ken, this is all about money isn’t it?
Be honest? Ken? LMAO
Keith Walker says
February 25, 2008 at 10:35 amI take it as Sian Berry objects for decisions being taken elsewhere that affect Londoners that she will drop the congestion charge for anyone who lives outside London. With her logic there is no reason why those who cannot vote for or against it should pay it.
Derek says
February 25, 2008 at 10:43 amThe biggest problem Londoners have in the 21st C is Livingstone. Fanatical obsessions with CO2 are history. The volume of CO2 in the atmosphere created by man has no effect on climate change – forget the rhetoric – seek the science. The modern car puts out less pollutants (of which CO2 is not) than cars built in the sixties of half the capacity, yet the real “gas guzzlers” – 5-6 miles to the gallon – crowd the streets in the busiest thoroughfares – Buses. What practical difference does the number of driven wheels of a vehicle make – none, other than a contribution to safety under adverse conditions. His deliberate contempt of Londoners voices is reflected in the need for a High Court decision from a major manufacturer – long overdue, I hope more follow their lead he has ignored the people who live in and service London for too long. Ask the porters at Smithfield, the Emergency crew drivers, the nurses and social services, the small businesses, the myriad of companies delivering goods and equipment. These are the people who are suffering under his regime. Livingstone and the “green” brigade have found powerful allies in each other and are bent on a contemptuous dictatorship over the people of London against all reason. When facts and figures show Livingstone’s policies are not returning the desired results – they are hidden, covered up, ignored like those of the increase in safety for powered two wheel users in bus lanes. Only those in favour of Ken are listened to by Ken. And only those in favour are counted. You will not be counting my vote in favour, that I can assure you.
Signed – A Londoner born and bred of four generations plus.
Bruce says
February 25, 2008 at 11:11 amFoE, Greenpeace and the “alliance against urban 4x4s” (whoever they are) are long discredited but support Ken’s strategy. They should all go back to wearing sandwich boards – except that people would laugh at them again!
billhollis says
February 25, 2008 at 12:41 pmI planted 6000- 7000 trees on my farm in the past two years.
I drive a 4 x 4 Range Rover . It is idling at 70mph whereas a small car is busting a gut and spewing out tonnes of co2 at 70 mph.
I come into london 2 or 3 times a year.. Now I have to pay 25 per time.. U are having a laugh Mr Livingstone.. I am far and away greener than you and most londoners.
London , doesn’t just belong to you, or as you townies keep telling us, the country to us.
I guess I will start charging for using my footpaths.
Martin (Editor) says
February 25, 2008 at 1:51 pmTony – just for the point of accuracy the Mayor and Assembly don’t have official cars let alone ‘£50,000 Jags each’.
When on GLA business they use public transport.
Mr Doovde says
February 25, 2008 at 2:22 pmHopefully people will see sense and vote against this moronic shower of cretins!
Andy says
February 25, 2008 at 2:47 pmDo not be fooled into thinking this extortion will stop at Band G cars once accepted they will then make a new case for other cars to be included. CO2 is good for the environment – it’s a vital gas that gives life to the planet. Human CO2 is a negligible contribution to a negligible CO2 effect on global warming, being sexed-up to provide another reason to fleece people – it is all about making money and satisfying small minded anti-car agendas and absolutely nothing to do with the environment.
Tony F says
February 25, 2008 at 9:20 pmCongestion charge is all swallowed up in the running costs, so this is just about creating a profit. Its not just Porsches and big 4×4’s either many family cars are already included. Buying a second car will help some avoid the charge but that means more cars manufactured which equals more CO2, not that Co2 is a problem, just an excuse. Ken may not ride round in £50k Jags but his Taxi bill is massive.
Ian says
February 25, 2008 at 11:47 pmWhere exactly did the “85 percent” in favour of the gas guzzler charge come from? And since when did public opinion mean anything to Ken? The 80 percent against the Western extension meant less than nothing to him. Even greens have acknowledged that this charge will do almost nothing to reduce CO2 levels.
Louise K says
February 26, 2008 at 8:21 amSo 85% support the charge do they Sian? Who did you ask – your green chums? And what questions did you ask?
An independent poll by ICM has just shown 74% think the new charge is unfair, and 68% think the £8 charge is unfair!
Ian says
February 26, 2008 at 9:39 pmMartin (editor): I presume that the definition of “public transport” is broad enough to include the taxis that Ken uses to the tune of 10,000 pounds a year of our money. When you add in the rest of Ken’s high placed cronies the bill must be astronomical.
Martin (Editor) says
February 26, 2008 at 10:51 pmHi Ian at 21:39 – yes taxis are a form of public transport so were included in the statement.
Its not for me to defend the GLA taxi bill, that’s not the purpose of the site but it seemed (and still seems) fair to pointed out that the claim that the Mayor has a £50,000 car was inaccurate.