There's no such thing as a free lunch

Date: 20 February 2008   |   Author: Tristan Young

Tristan Young is Editor-in-chief of BusinessCar

If there's one thing bound to agitate fleet managers and drivers alike its hidden administration charges - especially when they are coupled to such an unloved tax as London's congestion charge.

One point that will catch drivers and fleet managers out is that cars with CO2 figures of 120g/km or less go free in London. This only applies if you've paid the annual £10 registration fee, otherwise you'll, presumably, have to pay the regular £8-a-day C-charge like all cars below 226g/km. How many people will assume they can drive free in London having not registered their cars or paid a daily £8 and instead be lumbered with a £100 or £50 fine?

The stupidity of this is that Ken's cameras (linked to the DVLA database) know which cars are above 225g/km so that he can charge them £25 per day to drive in London. So why can those same cameras not automatically detect cars under 121g/km?

And if you think you're immune because you never drive in London or have cars that drive in London don't forget cities across the UK are looking as similar schemes. Just read what Ken (who's powers now seems to be worldwide) has to say on the matter: "I believe that this ground-breaking initiative will have an impact throughout the world with other cities following suit as they step up their efforts to halt the slide towards catastrophic climate change."

Subscribe