Anyone affected by the new expanded ULEZ zone and how do you feel about it?

[Ming the Merciless]

I suspect for the sake of the headline figures you quote, the peak of the bell curve of vehicle use is probably just below 5 miles..

Oh I wouldn’t make that assumption, go to the annual travel survey results if you want to dig into them. For instance 17% of trips less than a mile are made by car. Hard core car addicts in motion.

 

[icowden]

Oh I wouldn’t make that assumption, go to the annual travel survey results if you want to dig into them. For instance 17% of trips less than a mile are made by car. Hard core car addicts in motion.

Sometimes it's just ease of use and speed. I can get to the Co-op or little Tesco within 7 minutes in a warm car. If I take the bike, I have to get it out of the shed, make sure the lights are on, find somewhere to lock it up, find my rucksack etc.

The plus point now is that I have an EV it's a lot cheaper.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If I take the bike, I have to get it out of the shed, make sure the lights are on, find somewhere to lock it up, find my rucksack etc.

All of a few mins, or you could walk it in 15 mins or less and achieve your daily exercise targets.

 

[cosmicbike]

I live outside the ULEX, but my place of work is within it. Both my cars are petrol, 29yrs and 25 yrs old, so it will cost me, worst case, £25 for a night shift. Most shifts I cycle, so not really an issue, but on the occasions I drive it will have to be in SWMBO wagon which I think is OK.
I may have to invest in a 4.4 litre V8 XC90 which will be compliant, and of course far better for the environment...

 

[neil_merseyside]

Why can’t you do that trip with a cargo bike? You can be there and back in 40 mins, plus time in B&Q.

I doubt a cargo bike would be where it was left, everything goes these days, it'd be on eBay in bits be teatime. Oh and £3K to buy it, all to replace of an existing lump of investment.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I doubt a cargo bike would be where it was left, everything goes these days, it'd be on eBay in bits be teatime. Oh and £3K to buy it, all to replace of an existing lump of investment.

Maybe in Merseyside but I see a few cargo bikes out and about round here. A mate go one at start of pandemic to replace car, never looked back and saving lots of money as result.

 

[icowden]

I may have to invest in a 4.4 litre V8 XC90 which will be compliant, and of course far better for the environment...

If you're going to spend that much might as well get the XC40 recharge and go EV!

 

[BoldonLad]

Most modern cars are exempt from the ULEZ charge, and I would expect them to be pretty modern.

Whether they pay the congestion charge, I don't know.

Well, even if they do, it will not come out their pocket, I suspect, out of ours, definitely.

 

[gbb]

I'm just curious how you know this. Where I live the refuse bins are dark grey and you can't see what's in them. Do you have transparent bins round your way? Or do you dash out and peek inside other people's bins on bin day?

Inevitably, bins get over full, lids are up and contents easily visible

 

[Ming the Merciless]

5 miles through urban streets seems far more paletable than the same distance through unlit country roads

Other way round surely and what’s with all these short journeys suddenly being after dark.

 

[Rusty Nails]

My daughter and her partner live in the ULEZ in N London and regularly have to take my young granddaughter to Great Ormond Street Hospital. Either a rather chaotic public transport journey with pushchair and a young kid who is upset and not looking forward to the visit, or £27.50 plus fuel and parking.

They know it's their fault because their car is a 14 year old diesel but it doesn't mean it isn't a pain. They use bike or public transport for work, shopping is mostly on foot or online, and they use their car mainly on journeys involving travel outside the London area or, if they do use the car inside ULEZ, try and save multiple errands/trips for one day.

 

[wafter]

Other way round surely and what’s with all these short journeys suddenly being after dark.

Depends on your perspective I guess. Personally in my head a pub-ride of 4 miles to the next village on the bike seems like far more of an undertaking than the same distance across the city. Traffic also tends to be a lot slower in cities too, with better lighting.

Not sure what you're getting at with the "suddenly being after dark" comment, however as it happens it was near dark when I left for work this morning. When I came home it was dark. If I want to go out anywhere after work for the next few months it'll be... dark.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Traffic also tends to be a lot slower in cities too, with better lighting.

Country lane traffic tends to be far less to non existent at night compared to town. Plus you can and or hear it miles away.

 

[Scottish Scrutineer]

As a resident of rural Scotland I haven't been into London for over thirty years. But, should I happen to suffer a hissy-fit and decide to drive there, what do I have to do?

Plan your route carefully, download and register on the TfL Drive App. It will tell you if your car is exempt or not, and will enable you to pay the fine charge. I drove down in July, to Docklands and was fortunate enough to only have to drive within the ULEZ once on my way in, and then left the van parked until I drove out, so it only cost 2 charges. Being a tight Scot, of Yorkshire descent, I timed my journey to cross into the zone after midnight in case I had to move to a more suitable parking location

 

[cosmicbike]

If you're going to spend that much might as well get the XC40 recharge and go EV!

If you'd like to tell me where I can get one of them for less than £8k, and fit 3 big dogs in it I'll consider the idea.