Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a enormous dilemma for the UK.

So huge a difficulty has it grow to be that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is organizing to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would imply that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could discover themselves getting to stump up an added charge on best of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Despite the fact that there are calls for the adjustments to come into force sooner, the program is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And exactly where London leads, other main towns and cities across the UK could effectively comply with.

This would produce districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel vehicles that didn’t meet the needed Euro 6 standard – which comes into effect from January 2015 – would have to pay the fee.

Undesirable news if you drive a diesel, and a true kick in the particulates if you in fact bought a diesel on the back of it becoming portrayed as the a lot more eco-friendly selection.

Although diesels do make fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the greater levels of particulates they spew out, particularly nitrogen oxide, make them a higher health risk.

This was something the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled car excise duty (VED) to offer you more affordable road tax on diesels, meaning men and women were horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of small solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London mentioned: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a huge failure of government policy. Millions of individuals had been told that they were doing a decent thing by purchasing a diesel automobile.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to men and women who are acquiring vehicles now. And they will be quite aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an extra charge to go by way of the centre of London. And you also require to take account of exactly where the business is.”

Pain in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to pay to drive in specific regions has not gone down effectively with motorists.

A survey of far more than 2,000 folks carried out by vehicle supermarket, Motorpoint, found 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be prepared to spend much more in taxes to assist nearby authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance coverage specialist at MoneySuperMarket said: “Motoring fees are higher sufficient as it is, so drivers won’t welcome any extra expenses, specifically if they have purchased a diesel car in the previous due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are lots of ways to reduce the price of motoring even though, not least buying around for your car insurance and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the alterations in legislation won’t take impact for a number of years yet so there is lots of time to consider changing your vehicle.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A excellent thought for cleaner air or just one more stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a huge issue for the UK.

So massive a issue has it turn into that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the dilemma, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is planning to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would imply that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could discover themselves having to stump up an added charge on leading of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Although there are calls for the modifications to come into force sooner, the strategy is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And exactly where London leads, other key towns and cities across the UK could nicely follow.

This would generate districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel vehicles that didn’t meet the needed Euro 6 regular – which comes into impact from January 2015 – would have to pay the charge.

Undesirable news if you drive a diesel, and a actual kick in the particulates if you really bought a diesel on the back of it becoming portrayed as the far more eco-friendly option.

Though diesels do generate fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the larger levels of particulates they spew out, specifically nitrogen oxide, make them a higher health threat.

This was some thing the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled car excise duty (VED) to supply cheaper road tax on diesels, which means individuals have been horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of tiny solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London stated: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a enormous failure of government policy. Millions of people had been told that they had been performing a decent issue by buying a diesel vehicle.

“You have got to be affordable and fair to folks who are acquiring vehicles now. And they will be quite aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an further charge to go through the centre of London. And you also want to take account of where the industry is.”

Pain in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to pay to drive in certain locations has not gone down nicely with motorists.

A survey of a lot more than 2,000 people carried out by auto supermarket, Motorpoint, identified 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be ready to pay far more in taxes to aid neighborhood authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance specialist at MoneySuperMarket mentioned: “Motoring expenses are higher adequate as it is, so drivers will not welcome any further costs, especially if they have bought a diesel auto in the previous due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are lots of ways to reduce the cost of motoring although, not least shopping around for your vehicle insurance coverage and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the adjustments in legislation will not take effect for a number of years yet so there is plenty of time to consider altering your vehicle.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A excellent thought for cleaner air or just yet another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a enormous problem for the UK.

So large a dilemma has it turn into that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the difficulty, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is organizing to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would imply that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could discover themselves having to stump up an further fee on prime of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Although there are calls for the changes to come into force sooner, the strategy is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And exactly where London leads, other major towns and cities across the UK could properly adhere to.

This would generate districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel automobiles that didn’t meet the necessary Euro 6 standard – which comes into effect from January 2015 – would have to pay the charge.

Poor news if you drive a diesel, and a real kick in the particulates if you truly bought a diesel on the back of it being portrayed as the much more eco-friendly selection.

Though diesels do generate fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the greater levels of particulates they spew out, especially nitrogen oxide, make them a higher well being risk.

This was some thing the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled car excise duty (VED) to offer less costly road tax on diesels, which means people had been horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of small solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London stated: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a massive failure of government policy. Millions of people were told that they were doing a decent thing by acquiring a diesel car.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to men and women who are purchasing cars now. And they will be quite aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an additional charge to go by way of the centre of London. And you also want to take account of exactly where the business is.”

Discomfort in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to spend to drive in particular places has not gone down effectively with motorists.

A survey of a lot more than 2,000 individuals conducted by auto supermarket, Motorpoint, located 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be prepared to spend more in taxes to assist neighborhood authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance professional at MoneySuperMarket mentioned: “Motoring charges are high sufficient as it is, so drivers will not welcome any additional expenditures, especially if they have bought a diesel vehicle in the previous due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are lots of methods to cut the expense of motoring although, not least buying around for your auto insurance coverage and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the alterations in legislation will not take effect for a number of years yet so there is plenty of time to think about changing your car.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A good idea for cleaner air or just yet another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a huge difficulty for the UK.

So large a issue has it turn out to be that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the issue, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is arranging to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would imply that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could find themselves possessing to stump up an additional charge on prime of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Though there are calls for the modifications to come into force sooner, the program is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And exactly where London leads, other significant towns and cities across the UK could nicely follow.

This would generate districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel cars that didn’t meet the required Euro 6 common – which comes into effect from January 2015 – would have to spend the fee.

Poor news if you drive a diesel, and a true kick in the particulates if you in fact purchased a diesel on the back of it getting portrayed as the more eco-friendly option.

Even though diesels do generate fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the larger levels of particulates they spew out, specifically nitrogen oxide, make them a higher health danger.

This was one thing the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled car excise duty (VED) to offer cheaper road tax on diesels, meaning individuals have been horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London stated: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a massive failure of government policy. Millions of people had been told that they have been performing a decent issue by purchasing a diesel automobile.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to folks who are acquiring automobiles now. And they will be very aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an additional charge to go through the centre of London. And you also want to take account of exactly where the industry is.”

Discomfort in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to pay to drive in certain areas has not gone down well with motorists.

A survey of a lot more than 2,000 men and women conducted by automobile supermarket, Motorpoint, located 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be prepared to pay a lot more in taxes to help regional authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance coverage professional at MoneySuperMarket mentioned: “Motoring expenses are high adequate as it is, so drivers will not welcome any added expenditures, especially if they have purchased a diesel auto in the past due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are a lot of ways to reduce the cost of motoring although, not least purchasing about for your vehicle insurance coverage and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the changes in legislation won’t take effect for a number of years but so there is plenty of time to contemplate changing your vehicle.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A very good idea for cleaner air or just one more stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a massive difficulty for the UK.

So massive a problem has it turn into that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the dilemma, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is organizing to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would mean that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could uncover themselves having to stump up an added fee on best of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Although there are calls for the modifications to come into force sooner, the strategy is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And where London leads, other major towns and cities across the UK could well follow.

This would generate districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel cars that didn’t meet the required Euro 6 standard – which comes into impact from January 2015 – would have to pay the fee.

Negative news if you drive a diesel, and a genuine kick in the particulates if you actually purchased a diesel on the back of it becoming portrayed as the a lot more eco-friendly choice.

Although diesels do generate fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the higher levels of particulates they spew out, specifically nitrogen oxide, make them a greater health risk.

This was one thing the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled car excise duty (VED) to offer cheaper road tax on diesels, meaning individuals had been horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London mentioned: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a huge failure of government policy. Millions of people have been told that they were carrying out a decent point by acquiring a diesel vehicle.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to folks who are purchasing autos now. And they will be extremely aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an added charge to go by way of the centre of London. And you also require to take account of where the business is.”

Discomfort in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to spend to drive in specific regions has not gone down properly with motorists.

A survey of more than 2,000 folks performed by vehicle supermarket, Motorpoint, discovered 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be ready to spend far more in taxes to support nearby authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance coverage expert at MoneySuperMarket mentioned: “Motoring expenses are higher adequate as it is, so drivers will not welcome any extra expenditures, especially if they have bought a diesel auto in the past due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are lots of methods to reduce the cost of motoring although, not least purchasing about for your auto insurance coverage and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the adjustments in legislation will not take impact for a quantity of years but so there is plenty of time to take into account altering your car.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A good idea for cleaner air or just yet another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a massive problem for the UK.

So big a problem has it become that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is planning to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would mean that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could find themselves having to stump up an extra fee on top of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Although there are calls for the changes to come into force sooner, the plan is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And where London leads, other major towns and cities across the UK could well follow.

This would create districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel vehicles that didn’t meet the required Euro 6 standard – which comes into effect from January 2015 – would have to pay the fee.

Bad news if you drive a diesel, and a real kick in the particulates if you actually bought a diesel on the back of it being portrayed as the more eco-friendly option.

Although diesels do produce fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the higher levels of particulates they spew out, particularly nitrogen oxide, make them a greater health risk.

This was something the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled vehicle excise duty (VED) to offer cheaper road tax on diesels, meaning people were horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London said: “I feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a massive failure of government policy. Millions of people were told that they were doing a decent thing by buying a diesel vehicle.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to people who are buying vehicles now. And they will be very aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an extra charge to go through the centre of London. And you also need to take account of where the industry is.”

Pain in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to pay to drive in certain areas has not gone down well with motorists.

A survey of more than 2,000 people conducted by car supermarket, Motorpoint, found 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be prepared to pay more in taxes to help local authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket said: “Motoring costs are high enough as it is, so drivers won’t welcome any additional expenses, particularly if they have bought a diesel car in the past due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are plenty of ways to cut the cost of motoring though, not least shopping around for your car insurance and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the changes in legislation won’t take effect for a number of years yet so there is plenty of time to consider changing your vehicle.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A good idea for cleaner air or just another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a enormous problem for the UK.

So huge a problem has it grow to be that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the issue, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is organizing to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would imply that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could discover themselves obtaining to stump up an extra charge on top of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Despite the fact that there are calls for the alterations to come into force sooner, the plan is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And where London leads, other main towns and cities across the UK could properly follow.

This would create districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel cars that didn’t meet the required Euro 6 normal – which comes into impact from January 2015 – would have to pay the charge.

Undesirable news if you drive a diesel, and a true kick in the particulates if you in fact purchased a diesel on the back of it getting portrayed as the more eco-friendly option.

Though diesels do make fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the higher levels of particulates they spew out, specifically nitrogen oxide, make them a greater wellness threat.

This was anything the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled automobile excise duty (VED) to offer less expensive road tax on diesels, which means people have been horribly misinformed and purchased into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London mentioned: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a huge failure of government policy. Millions of people were told that they have been carrying out a decent point by acquiring a diesel car.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to folks who are buying cars now. And they will be very aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an added charge to go via the centre of London. And you also need to take account of exactly where the industry is.”

Discomfort in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to pay to drive in certain locations has not gone down well with motorists.

A survey of a lot more than 2,000 folks carried out by vehicle supermarket, Motorpoint, found 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be prepared to pay a lot more in taxes to assist neighborhood authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket said: “Motoring fees are high adequate as it is, so drivers won’t welcome any additional costs, especially if they have purchased a diesel automobile in the previous due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are lots of methods to reduce the expense of motoring although, not least shopping about for your car insurance coverage and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the changes in legislation will not take effect for a quantity of years however so there is lots of time to consider changing your automobile.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A excellent notion for cleaner air or just an additional stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a huge issue for the UK.

So massive a problem has it grow to be that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is organizing to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would imply that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could uncover themselves possessing to stump up an additional charge on prime of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Despite the fact that there are calls for the changes to come into force sooner, the plan is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And exactly where London leads, other key towns and cities across the UK could properly comply with.

This would create districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel autos that didn’t meet the essential Euro 6 regular – which comes into impact from January 2015 – would have to pay the charge.

Negative news if you drive a diesel, and a true kick in the particulates if you in fact bought a diesel on the back of it being portrayed as the much more eco-friendly selection.

Despite the fact that diesels do make fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the larger levels of particulates they spew out, especially nitrogen oxide, make them a greater wellness risk.

This was anything the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled automobile excise duty (VED) to offer you less costly road tax on diesels, meaning people have been horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London mentioned: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a massive failure of government policy. Millions of individuals have been told that they were undertaking a decent point by acquiring a diesel car.

“You have got to be affordable and fair to folks who are getting autos now. And they will be quite aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an additional charge to go by means of the centre of London. And you also need to have to take account of where the business is.”

Discomfort in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to spend to drive in certain locations has not gone down nicely with motorists.

A survey of far more than 2,000 individuals conducted by auto supermarket, Motorpoint, found 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be ready to pay much more in taxes to help neighborhood authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance coverage specialist at MoneySuperMarket said: “Motoring costs are higher sufficient as it is, so drivers won’t welcome any extra costs, specifically if they have purchased a diesel car in the previous due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are a lot of ways to cut the expense of motoring even though, not least buying about for your automobile insurance and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the modifications in legislation won’t take impact for a number of years however so there is plenty of time to think about changing your automobile.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A great idea for cleaner air or just another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a enormous dilemma for the UK.

So huge a difficulty has it grow to be that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the dilemma, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is organizing to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would mean that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could discover themselves obtaining to stump up an further charge on prime of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Though there are calls for the alterations to come into force sooner, the strategy is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And exactly where London leads, other key towns and cities across the UK could effectively comply with.

This would generate districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel autos that didn’t meet the needed Euro 6 common – which comes into impact from January 2015 – would have to pay the fee.

Negative news if you drive a diesel, and a actual kick in the particulates if you truly purchased a diesel on the back of it being portrayed as the far more eco-friendly selection.

Despite the fact that diesels do generate fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the greater levels of particulates they spew out, especially nitrogen oxide, make them a greater well being risk.

This was one thing the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled automobile excise duty (VED) to offer more affordable road tax on diesels, which means people had been horribly misinformed and purchased into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London stated: “I really feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a massive failure of government policy. Millions of people have been told that they had been doing a decent point by acquiring a diesel car.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to individuals who are purchasing autos now. And they will be very aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an additional charge to go by way of the centre of London. And you also require to take account of exactly where the sector is.”

Discomfort in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to spend to drive in specific places has not gone down properly with motorists.

A survey of much more than 2,000 folks conducted by vehicle supermarket, Motorpoint, identified 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be ready to pay far more in taxes to aid local authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance professional at MoneySuperMarket said: “Motoring charges are high enough as it is, so drivers won’t welcome any further expenditures, particularly if they have purchased a diesel car in the previous due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are lots of approaches to reduce the cost of motoring even though, not least buying around for your automobile insurance and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the changes in legislation won’t take impact for a quantity of years yet so there is plenty of time to think about altering your automobile.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A great notion for cleaner air or just yet another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?

Air pollution is a massive problem for the UK.

So big a problem has it become that earlier this year the European Commission launched legal proceedings against the government for missing its air pollution targets.

In a bid to tackle the problem, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is planning to make central London an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ). That would mean that diesel drivers who venture into the capital could find themselves having to stump up an extra fee on top of the congestion charge.

2020 vision

Although there are calls for the changes to come into force sooner, the plan is to implement the ULEZ by 2020. And where London leads, other major towns and cities across the UK could well follow.

This would create districts in which all but the cleanest of engines would be penalised. Diesel vehicles that didn’t meet the required Euro 6 standard – which comes into effect from January 2015 – would have to pay the fee.

Bad news if you drive a diesel, and a real kick in the particulates if you actually bought a diesel on the back of it being portrayed as the more eco-friendly option.

Although diesels do produce fewer CO2 emissions than petrol engines, the higher levels of particulates they spew out, particularly nitrogen oxide, make them a greater health risk.

This was something the Labour government failed to acknowledge when it overhauled vehicle excise duty (VED) to offer cheaper road tax on diesels, meaning people were horribly misinformed and bought into the myth of the eco-friendly diesel engine.

Has Boris got your back?

It will be of little solace to diesel owners that Boris Johnson is sympathetic to their plight. The Mayor of London said: “I feel sorry for them [diesel drivers]. It is a massive failure of government policy. Millions of people were told that they were doing a decent thing by buying a diesel vehicle.

“You have got to be reasonable and fair to people who are buying vehicles now. And they will be very aggrieved if they are told they are going to face an extra charge to go through the centre of London. And you also need to take account of where the industry is.”

Pain in the gas

Unsurprisingly, the announcement that diesel drivers will sooner or later have to pay to drive in certain areas has not gone down well with motorists.

A survey of more than 2,000 people conducted by car supermarket, Motorpoint, found 3-quarters (75%) of motorists wouldn’t be prepared to pay more in taxes to help local authorities meet European clean air targets.

Kevin Pratt, insurance expert at MoneySuperMarket said: “Motoring costs are high enough as it is, so drivers won’t welcome any additional expenses, particularly if they have bought a diesel car in the past due to its supposed eco-friendliness.

“There are plenty of ways to cut the cost of motoring though, not least shopping around for your car insurance and adjusting your driving style to save on fuel, and the changes in legislation won’t take effect for a number of years yet so there is plenty of time to consider changing your vehicle.”

What do you make of the London ULEZ proposals? A good idea for cleaner air or just another stealth tax? Let us know…

Capital punishment for diesel drivers?