The charge levied at drivers wanting to drive through London may have cleared roads, but the £8 toll has done little for the air.A new study has found that levels of pollution in the city's congestion charging zone changed little before and after the city implemented the toll. Some pollutants even rose.
London congestion charge did not improve air quality
In 2003, London began hitting drivers with a £5 toll to enter a 21 square kilometre patch of the city centre. The toll has since increased to £8. By 2006, the number of cars on the road had fallen by a fifth, while the number of public buses – exempted from the toll – jumped by 25%.
"The scheme never really had air quality or people's health in mind," says Kelly. But to gauge whether the fee might improve the air, his team collected air quality measurements over two years before and after London began levying the charge.
Kelly's team noticed little change in pollutants such as smog, diesel soot, and carbon monoxide. Levels of nitrogen oxides increased slightly – Kelly thinks this was because of filters on diesel buses that trap soot, yet spew out the gases.
4 comments:
It was all a hoax on the part
of Marie Antoinette Bloomberg
to stick it to the outer boroughs
so that he, ensconced in his
palace in Versailles,
(upper east side townhouse)
wouldn't suffer from the maladies
of a poor quality of life.
Yeah,
just push the congestion into Queens' dumping ground....
you lying SOB!
A few days ago I talked to a freind of mine that lives in London whom i have not spoken to in years and he said the congestion pricing has barely cut down on traffic at all.
I did not agree with Bloombergs plan because I did not think it was fair to the outer boroughs but I never thought it would be ineffective.
"A new study has found that levels of pollution in the city's congestion charging zone changed little before and after the city implemented the toll. Some pollutants even rose."
Council member Vallone voted against the congestion tax, but is currently pushing "Intro 650" a bill to prohibit private use of air quality detectors without a police permit. Big fines for using a device without a permit.
Commissar Bloomberg of Congestion Tax fame wants this law. Why?
So that he alone can control the information we taxpayers require regarding the quality of the air entering our lungs.
Why?
First, because he has a Commissar mentality; control and punish.
Second, connected to the first, so he can implement destructive changes, all while controlling the information of air quality: tree removal, artificial turf, laying concrete after destroying the Ridgewood Reservoir, permitting overdevelopment, allowing trucks to use residential streets, etc.
The Commissar's destructive tendencies affect all of us, all ages, all neighborhoods.
Can any of his lickspittle lackeys itemize a few of his positive accomplishments?
Didn't think so.
It's quite obvious that Der Mayor suffers from nasal congestion....
whine, whine, whine....all the time.
Try Dristan or Clariton your "honor"
and shove that congestion pricing
up your ass like a non prescription suppository!
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