The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) operates from today

Another of Ken Livingstone's taxes on productive members of society starts today. From today the owners of Lorries, motor caravans & horseboxes exceeding 12 tonnes that do not meet the LEZ emissions standards and are not exempt from the scheme or registered for a 100 per cent discount will have to pay £200 per day to enter the London area. This is just the start of the scheme; it will extend to buses & coaches exceeding 5 tonnes and to lorries, motor caravans & horseboxes weighing between 3.5 & 12 tonnes on 7 July 2008. A further extension on 4 October 2010 will bring in a £100 a day charge for large vans & horseboxes between 1.205 unladen & 3.5 tonnes as well as Motor caravans between 2.5 & 3.5 tonnes and Minibuses below 5 tonnes.


Of course the above are just the daily charges, the fines for non-compliance are even more onerous, currently £1,000, generously reduced to £500 if paid within 14 days but increased to £1,500 if unpaid within 28 days.



I predict that the car hating Ken Livingstone if re-elected in May will bring in a charge for all of the "most polluting cars" entering the London LEZ. I have blogged before about his plan to drive the private motor car from the roads of London and the LEZ will be another part of this plan.