MAG has raised major concerns about a ridiculous new ‘tax on biking’in the county’s capital city. An ‘Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ),’ will impose the same daily tax of £12.50 on riders of non-compliant PTWs as on car drivers.
Dr Leon Mannings, MAG’s Policy and Campaigns Adviser, has been in extensive talks with the ULEZ team leaders in Transport for London (TfL). However, and despite explaining that all types of PTW are a vital element in solving London’s congestion and pollution problems, the current plan is to impose new taxes on motorcycles as if journeys by PTWs cause as much pollution as the cars and vans that are often stationary in jammed traffic.
‘What the authorities fail to recognise,’ explains Leon, ‘is that taxing motorcycles is counterproductive and in MAG’s view is totally unjustified. As TfL’s own study of PTW emissions in 2011 clearly showed, trips by all types of motorcycle produce far less CO2 and NOx compared to cars when emissions from the same real-time journeys are compared. PTWs do not cause congestion whereas cars and vans do – no matter how energy-efficient they are claimed to be.’
MAG is conducting a comprehensive analysis of the environmental footprint of various vehicles, including electric cars, to establish the truth behind the claims made for various modes of transport. The findings should be released by Spring, 2017.
Contact MAG at 01926 844 064 or central-office@mag-uk.org