In the UK they are just beginning to roll out what are called Clean Air Zones (CAZ). The idea is that vehicles with older engines can only enter the CAZ if they pay. Naturally these CAZs are usually large urban areas and within the ring road. They are just popping up. You'll be driving along and there will be a sign saying CAZ in 1.5 miles.
This is very bad for me, and others. It's going to be rolled out all over, even smaller places, so that it will be almost impossible to drive about without incurring these payments, or being forced to go electric.
But it gets worse. We were heading for a city which has yet to introduce a CAZ, but we needed to skirt a city on the way there which had a CAZ. I had my route and knew I would be ok, BUT what they had done was to extend the CAZ quite a few miles out of the city and apply it to a road which led towards the CAZ city, just a bit of duel carriage way, BUT having pulled over to see the map, I could see that there was no other way (other than a very long detour), so they were using the CAZ as a toll.
So this type of thing is going to make it even more difficult to drive about.
I bought a new vehicle 6 years ago and opted for the euro 5 engine, I could have had the euro 6 engine, which are exempt fro CAZ charges. If |I'd known CAZ were coming I'd have bought the euro 6 engine.
I think folks would be well advised to keep this in mind when making vehicle decisions.
This is very bad for me, and others. It's going to be rolled out all over, even smaller places, so that it will be almost impossible to drive about without incurring these payments, or being forced to go electric.
But it gets worse. We were heading for a city which has yet to introduce a CAZ, but we needed to skirt a city on the way there which had a CAZ. I had my route and knew I would be ok, BUT what they had done was to extend the CAZ quite a few miles out of the city and apply it to a road which led towards the CAZ city, just a bit of duel carriage way, BUT having pulled over to see the map, I could see that there was no other way (other than a very long detour), so they were using the CAZ as a toll.
So this type of thing is going to make it even more difficult to drive about.
I bought a new vehicle 6 years ago and opted for the euro 5 engine, I could have had the euro 6 engine, which are exempt fro CAZ charges. If |I'd known CAZ were coming I'd have bought the euro 6 engine.
I think folks would be well advised to keep this in mind when making vehicle decisions.