Zero Congestion Charge

In a rare piece of good news for motorists, the beginning of 2011 saw a change to the London Congestion Charge that could see some drivers now (legally) avoiding the fee altogether.

The new Greener Vehicle Discount, which replaces the Alternative Fuel Discount, means that more cars will potentially qualify for 100% off the daily charge.

Naturally, there are a couple of caveats that come attached with this generous gesture from Transport for London.

The first is that the vehicle needs to be ‘green’. More precisely, it should be Euro 5 emissions compliant and produce 100 grams of CO2 per kilometre or less.

Secondly, if you already own such an eco-friendly machine, don’t presume that you can just swan about in central London and not worry about the Congestion Charge. To receive the Greener Vehicle Discount, a car must first be registered with Transport for London, and that involves a £10 annual payment.

So, what cars will qualify for the Greener Vehicle Discount? According to the Vehicle Certification Agency, the models that currently meet the criteria are:

Manufacturer	Model	Specification	Transmission	Fuel	CO2 g/km
Audi	A3	1.6 TDI 105PS Stop Start	M5	Diesel	99
Citroën	DS3	1.6HDi 90hp w/ energy saving tyres	M5	Diesel	99
Citroën	New C3	1.6HDi 90hp Airdream+	M5	Diesel	99
Fiat	500 / 500C (2010 on)	TwinAir	M5	Petrol	95
Fiat	500 / 500C (2010 on)	TwinAir Dualogic	SAT5	Petrol	92
Fiat	Punto Evo (Jan 2010 on)	1.3 16v MultiJet 85 ECO	M5	Diesel	95
Ford	Fiesta (Post 2010¼)	1.6 Duratorq 95PS +DPF ECO	M5	Diesel	98
Hyundai	i10	1.0l SOHC	M5	Petrol	99
Mini	Hatchback	One D w/ DPF	M6	Diesel	99
Mini	Hatchback	Cooper D w/ DPF	M6	Diesel	99
Seat	Ibiza	ST 1.2 CR TDI 75PS Ecomotive	M5	Diesel	92
Seat	Leon	1.6 CR TDI 105PS Ecomotive	M5	Diesel	99
Skoda	New Fabia Hatch	1.2 CR TDI 75PS GreenLine II	M5	Diesel	89
Skoda	New Fabia Estate	1.2 CR TDI 75PS GreenLine II	M5	Diesel	89
Skoda	New Fabia Estate	1.2 TDI 3 cylinder 75PS GreenLine	M5	Diesel	89
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	86
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	87
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	99
Smart	fortwo cabrio (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	100
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	86
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	54 bhp cdi w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Diesel	87
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softip & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	97
Smart	fortwo coupé (MY 2011)	71 bhp mhd w/ Softouch & 15" rear wheels	5 AMT	Petrol	98
Toyota	iQ (MY 2011)	1.0 VVT-i	M5	Petrol	99
Toyota	Auris Hybrid (MY 2010)	T4 89g 1.8 VVT-i	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	89
Toyota	Auris Hybrid (MY 2010)	T4 1.8 VVT-i	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	93
Toyota	Auris Hybrid (MY 2010)	T Spirit 1.8 VVT-i	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	93
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T4 1.8 VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	92
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T3 1.8VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	89
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T Spirit 1.8 VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	92
Toyota	Prius (MY 2009)	T Spirit w/ Solar Panel 1.8VVT-I	E-CVT	Petrol Hybrid	89
Volkswagen	New Polo	1.2 TDI 75PS BlueMotion	M5	Diesel	89
Volkswagen	New Golf	1.6 TDI 105PS BlueMotion	M5	Diesel	99
Volvo	C30 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	C30 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	S40 (MY 2010)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	S40 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
Volvo	V50 (MY 2011)	DRIVe	M6	Diesel	99
NB: Electric and plug-in hybrid cars aren’t eligible for the Greener Vehicle Discount - they have their own discount scheme.

It’s worth bearing in mind that Transport for London has committed to review the Greener Vehicle Discount in the future, so that eventually only vehicles emitting 80 g/km or less qualify. This tweak will be introduced ‘when the time is right’, but the first reassessment of the discount has been confirmed for 2012.

And finally, the area covered by the Congestion Charge is now much smaller, following the scrapping of the Western Extension zone on 4th January 2011:

Revamp for UK bike test

The current format for the UK’s motorcycle licence test was only introduced in April 2009. Consisting of two parts, the first is conducted away from the roads and includes hazard avoidance and emergency stop exercises. The second element is a road riding assessment, which lasts for at least thirty minutes.



However, the system has received a lot of criticism. In particular, the first module has been slated for its content, as well as the number and geographic spread of the locations where it is carried out. Additionally, there have been calls to make the test a single event, rather than being split into two distinct parts that can rarely be taken on the same day.

In response, the government commenced a review back in June 2010, and the Department for Transport has now announced its initial proposals.



The aim is to return to a single, on-road test. This could mean that the hazard manoeuvre is carried out on the public road, provided the assessment still complied with EU standards. Meanwhile, the slow speed exercises (u-turn, slalom and figure of eight) might be delegated to examiners at training centres ahead of the main test.



Wisely, perhaps, the changes aren’t going to be rushed through. With the details still needing a lot of work, the plan is to trial the proposals in the early part of 2011, followed by a public consultation. The target would then be to introduce the new test during late 2011 or early 2012.

Speed camera openness

The UK government’s Department for Transport has announced proposals that could see information being published about the country’s numerous speed cameras.



Under the plan, statistics released might include accident rates at camera sites, recorded vehicle speeds and the number of offenders prosecuted or alternatively offered speed awareness courses.

Road Safety Minister, Mike Penning, said, “Public bodies should be accountable and if taxpayers' money is being spent on speed cameras then it is right that information about their effectiveness is available to the public.



“The proposals I have announced today will help show what impact cameras are having on accident and casualty rates and also how the police are dealing with offenders. This is in line with our commitment to improve transparency of government data so that the public are able to make more informed judgements about the work of local and central government.”



At least the government is now referring to them as ‘speed cameras’, instead of the disingenuous ‘safety cameras’.



While this spirit of glasnost is to be welcomed, such data on its own may be pretty much useless. The number of accidents (and injuries sustained) that occurred before a speed camera was installed would have to be known too, otherwise it’s impossible to judge whether the camera is effective or not. Even then, the actual causes of crashes at the site would also have to be disclosed to see how many were actually speed-related.



One important thing that the proposals seem to ignore is what then happens with the results? Will a camera be removed if it can be demonstrated that it plays no role in road safety? Will a particular speed limit be raised to a more appropriate level if it’s found that there are minimal speed-related accidents? If it’s just business as usual, and nothing is done, then publishing the data in the first place seems rather pointless.



The Department for Transport will be consulting with the Highways Agency, police forces and local authorities to decide exactly what will be revealed. It’s intended that data will be made available to the public from April 2011.

Congestion Charge change

The changes to the London Congestion Charge that Mayor Boris Johnson proposed back in May have been approved.



Scheduled to come into force on 4th January 2011, the new rules mean:

• The Western Extension zone, introduced by former Mayor Ken Livingstone, is abolished.

• An increase of £2 on the daily Congestion Charge fees. Those who pay in advance or on the day of travel will have to part with £10, but leave it up until midnight the next day and it’s £12.


• The levy reduces to £9 per day if the vehicle has been registered under the new Congestion Charging Auto Pay scheme. As well as the slightly reduced cost, the other benefit is that drivers no longer need to worry about forgetting to pay, as the number of charging days a vehicle travels within the Congestion Charge area is totted up and the total amount owed is then taken automatically from a debit or credit card each month. Drivers can pre-register with Auto Pay from 22nd November 2010, but the slight drawback is that there’s an annual registration fee of £10 - and that’s per vehicle, not per driver.


• Anyone who currently avoids the Congestion Charge by driving a vehicle with nine seats or over can still do so, but they now have to make an annual payment of £10 per vehicle.


• Plug in electric hybrid vehicles qualify for the electric vehicle 100% discount. But again, each vehicle has to be registered with Transport for London for an annual fee of £10.


• The Alternative Fuel Discount is replaced by the Greener Vehicle Discount (GVD). This means that any cars - not just hybrids - that emit 100 g/km or less of CO2 and are Euro 5 compliant enjoy a 100% discount on the Congestion Charge. Unsurprisingly, each car will have to be registered at a cost of £10 every year.

However, there may be a sting in the tail. TfL has committed to reviewing the GVD so that eventually only vehicles emitting 80 g/km or less qualify. It is saying this will be introduced ‘when the time is right’, but the first reassessment of this discount has been confirmed for 2012.



The bad news for anybody about to buy a new car is that it’s not yet possible to choose one that’s future-proof against any possible GVD changes. The ‘best’ petrol / diesel car currently on sale is the 86 g/km Smart cdi fortwo fitted with the softip clutchless manual gearbox, while even the greenest hybrid - the Toyota Prius - still pumps out 89 g/km of CO2.



Related posts:

Zero Congestion Charge

London Congestion Charge

SHARP helmet rating

Some government schemes can appear to be a waste of time and money. However, the motorcycle Safety Helmet Assessment and Rating Programme (SHARP), run by the UK’s Department for Transport, is a genuinely excellent initiative.



All motorcycle helmets sold in the UK have to comply with either British Standard BS 6658:1985 or ECE Regulation 22.05. SHARP goes beyond those regulations though, applying a more rigorous testing regime that focuses on how well a rider would be protected in the event of a crash. Between one and five stars are then awarded, depending on how well a helmet performs, with more stars signifying a better result.



SHARP also emphasises that a good fit is also crucial - after all, even the best helmet is useless if it doesn’t stay on during a crash. That’s backed up by a pan-European study of motorcycle accidents which showed a shocking 12% of helmets came off during the impact.



An extra 27 helmets have recently been through the SHARP assessment, bringing the total number tested to 202. Coincidentally, 27 is also the number that have attained the maximum five stars, although it seems low price isn’t necessarily a bar to achieving the top score. For example, the five star Lazer LZ6 and Nitro Aikido both cost just £70.



At the other end of the scale, the most expensive helmet to score only one star is the £190 Dainese Airstream. Similarly, the Arai Condor, Schuberth S1 Pro and Schuberth R1 carry price tags of over £200, yet they all achieved a modest two stars.



For anyone considering getting a new helmet, the SHARP website is definitely worth a visit.

Blind trucker

How do you not notice a Renault Clio stuck to the front of your truck?



The driver in this incredible YouTube video obviously didn't.







Arclid Transport, the firm that owns the lorry, says on its website, ‘We have developed an unsurpassed reputation for delivery where you want it, when you want it - swiftly and safely…’



Well, it’s certainly moving fairly swiftly.



Scary stuff.

UK motorists mugged

Fuel prices in the UK are soon set to rise by another three pence, pushing the cost of petrol to around £1.20 per litre - that’s an incredible £5.46 per gallon.



This latest increase is due to government plans to raise fuel duty on 1 April. But it hides bigger issues.



The last time prices approached £1.20 per litre was in 2008, following the dramatic increase in wholesale oil prices to $147 per barrel. Oil is now ‘only’ $80 per barrel, yet clearly pump prices have not fallen by a similar 45% in the meantime.

That’s partly because speculators have kept wholesale petrol prices high, with marked increases since late January. Such activity obviously has a direct effect on retail prices.



As expected, motoring groups are urging that the impending fuel duty increase should be delayed or abandoned, in an attempt to soften the impact on drivers.



Members of Parliament are also joining the calls for postponement, with Labour MP Lindsay Hoyle even claiming, ‘Motorists are being legally mugged at the forecourt by petrol companies’.



A nice sentiment, although maybe expressed with the forthcoming general election in mind.



Perhaps Mr Hoyle has also forgotten that the government is a willing accomplice to the mugging, seeing as fuel duty and VAT combined account for over 60% of petrol prices. The last fuel increase in December 2009, and the reversion of VAT to 17.5% on 1 January 2010, certainly helped motorists to empty their wallets a bit quicker, too.



Never has an electric car seemed more appealing.

White van maniac

Heating on the blink?  Need some maintenance work done on your premises?  Then call Darenth Valley Building Services, because as the weapons-grade tool in the clip shows, they won’t let anything get in their way when the call to a job comes.



Particularly outstanding is the overtake on double white lines, totally ignoring the truck coming in the opposite direction.  The unfortunate riders who got in his way were protesting at Westminster City Council’s plans to introduce parking charges for bikes.