Congestion Zone charges

[GeoffL]

And here's a small extract from a Birmingham University study, which clearly shows PM1 figures are not included in PM2.5 figures.

PM1 is widely believed to provide better information on the anthropogenic fraction of particulate 29 matter pollution than PM2.5. However, data on PM1 are still limited in Europe

It shows nothing of the sort. What that says is that explicit data on PM1 is limited. However, as noted previously, PM2.5 encompasses 2.5 micron and smaller, and so includes PM1 since 1 micron is smaller than 2.5 microns.

And from Bristol and extract which says the burning of fuels is having adverse affects on health.

Health Impact, Air pollution generated from human sources such as the combustion of fuels for heat, electricity and transport is having an adverse effect on the health of Bristol’s communities.

That's just argument from assertion. They're using exactly the same sort of reasoning to justify a CAZ cash grab in Bristol as is used to demonise dihydrogen monoxide. While pollution can have an adverse effect on health, the pollution comes from applications that have a positive benefit far outweighing the adverse effect they seek to mention in isolation.

p.s. what do you think the typo is?

"PN concentrations" -- as noted in my earlier post. From the same reference, "Particles may be described in terms of surface area per particle, in terms of particle number (PN) or mass, or in terms of the concentration of either of those metrics within an aerosol volume." Thus effectively, particle number is a measure of particle size and hence the sentence, "A source apportionment study in London estimated that the total PN concentrations in the city’s ambient air were derived as follows:[...]" is meaningless as "PN concentrations" is both ambiguous and undefined. However, since the particle number of PM1 is 1,000,000 vs 64 for PM2.5, about the only possible interpretation should it not be a typo is that they've skewed the data to give PM1 1,000,000/64 = 15,625 times the significance of PM2.5, which is mendacious at the very least.

 

[Glandwr]

To get back to the OP. CONGESTION zones and charges are a totally different things to LOW EMISSION zones and charges although they can overlap.

The only congestion zones I know in the UK are in Durham and inside the inner ring road of London. Exceptions to congestion zones have nothing to do with emissions it's simply a tax on every private vehicle with more than 2 wheels that drive into the zone.

So the answer is that NO motorhome base is exempt (unless it's an ambulance or taxi)

 

[Pudsey Bear]

The only thing you can do is register it if it's local to you as I did for Bradford, but I had to tell them how often I would go into the zone, I opted for 12 just to give a number even though most of the CAZ here is nowhere near the city itself which I thought was the object of the exercise, it's mainly along the route into the city and within the rign road which coincidentally is mostly Asian populated.

But why isn't there a national register for the rest of the UK like in Scotland?

 

[mariesnowgoose]

The only thing you can do is register it if it's local to you as I did for Bradford, but I had to tell them how often I would go into the zone, I opted for 12 just to give a number even though most of the CAZ here is nowhere near the city itself which I thought was the object of the exercise, it's mainly along the route into the city and within the rign road which coincidentally is mostly Asian populated.

But why isn't there a national register for the rest of the UK like in Scotland?

Right now I'm thankful there isn't! But that's just me being selfish...

I have just applied for a vehicle exemption for Newcastle City Council, which means I won't have to worry about LEZ when trundling about locally.

However, I haven't done much looking at and digging into the Scottish system yet, but a cursory glance doesn't immediately indicate they offer exemptions for Motor Caravans. Hoping they do, but not overly optimistic... (and I want to be able to park outside my nephew's place in Glasgow, if at all possible )

As for London, I'm really not that bothered. Further away I am from it, the better I be!

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Not sure you can without a blue badge

 

[gasgas]

I think that Mercedes were the first to introduce Euro6 , even without AdBlu.

 

[Okta]

Euro 6 was introduced on most new registrations from September 2015. My Mercedes Hymer with a 2015 registration had AdBlue. I wasn’t aware that Mercedes had produced any Euro 6 without AdBlue but I could be wrong.

 

[barge1914]

I waited until Euro 6 came out hopefully for future proofing against such problems. But unlike my Euro 6C1 motorhome with greater total CO2 emissions) it is not allowed in ANY LEZ in Scotland, whereas it is only charged to enter in Birmingham, Bristol and London in England.

 

[Okta]

I waited until Euro 6 came out hopefully for future proofing against such problems. But unlike my Euro 6C1 motorhome with greater total CO2 emissions) it is not allowed in ANY LEZ in Scotland, whereas it is only charged to enter in Birmingham, Bristol and London in England.

LEZs are not about CO2. It is the NOX and particulates they are trying to control because they are dangerous to health in urban concentrations.

 

[Glandwr]

And this thread is about neither but "congestion" zone charges.

 

[GeoffL]

And this thread is about neither but "congestion" zone charges.

FWIW, I suspect that the OP mistitled this thread. From the opening post:

​

Sold my van yesterday so am furtling around looking for my next one. I thought that all diesels post 2015 were exempted from congestion charges but have just checked a couple of possibles on 2016 plates and they are both coming up as chargeable everywhere except Portsmouth.​

AFAICT, the only congestion charge zones in UK are London and Durham (although Edinburgh and Glasgow proposed and then abandoned congestion charging). However, several cities have so-called Clean Air Zones (CAZ) that includes London (ULEZ and LEZ), Aberdeen, Bristol, Bath, Birmingham, Bradford, Greater Manchester, Portsmouth, Sheffield, Tyneside, Glasgow with others (e.g. Edinburgh and Dundee) due to become active next year. As Portsmouth doesn't have congestion charging, it seems reasonable to infer that @Caz actually meant er.. CAZ!

@Caz : I wonder whether you're looking at heavier (i.e. over 3.5 tonnes) vans? As noted upthread, the Euro 6 standard applies only to vehicles up to 3.5 tonnes and heavier vehicles comply (or don't) to Euro VI, which is a different standard. That said, there's plenty of anecdotal stuff on the 'net suggesting that many vehicles that comply with the required emissions limit aren't registered as exempt from the charges; either because an earlier standard was recorded on the V5C etc. or some other error. In those cases, it may be possible to obtain a copy of the vehicle's Certificate of Conformity to use to gain exemption. As my van's way too old to be exempt, I haven't followed this up -- but there's plenty of info on YouTube etc.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Scuse my hignorance but they could have made it a little less confusing by not having Euro 6 & Euro VI, I understand it is a different standard so it should have a more distinguishable name.

Euro 6 sets a maximum of 0.50 grammes CO and 0.08 grammes of NOx emitted per km, Euro VI vehicles are allowed 1.5 grammes of CO and 0.4 grammes of NOx per km

 

[mark61]

Scuse my hignorance but they could have made it a little less confusing by not having Euro 6 & Euro VI, I understand it is a different standard so it should have a more distinguishable name.

Euro 6 sets a maximum of 0.50 grammes CO and 0.08 grammes of NOx emitted per km, Euro VI vehicles are allowed 1.5 grammes of CO and 0.4 grammes of NOx per km

Pretty sure the difference is Euro 6 is emissions in grams per km, while Euro VI is grams per kWh.

Just to add to the confusion.

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Pretty sure the difference is Euro 6 is emissions in grams per km, while Euro VI is grams per kWh.

Just to add to the confusion.

Quite possibly Mark I got it from here and added the per km as these are often truncated.

 

[GeoffL]

Pretty sure the difference is Euro 6 is emissions in grams per km, while Euro VI is grams per kWh.

Just to add to the confusion.

Took a while to chase this up, but (once again) you are correct. Excerpts from the relevant legislation:

Euro 6: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2007/715/annex/I
Euro VI: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2011/582/annex/XV/paragraph/2

 

[Pudsey Bear]

Thanks Geoff, I tried but got bored looking for any proper info.

 

[Okta]

My motorhome V5C shows PHGV, 3850kg and Euro 6 (not Euro VI). This suggests that motorhomes need to comply with Euro 6 standards not Euro VI.

 

[mark61]

My motorhome V5C shows PHGV, 3850kg and Euro 6 (not Euro VI). This suggests that motorhomes need to comply with Euro 6 standards not Euro VI.

Have seen plenty of commercials over 3500kg advertised as Euro 6, even from maindealers.

Doesn’t help when Volvo trucks (and others) have badges like this..

 

[GeoffL]

My motorhome V5C shows PHGV, 3850kg and Euro 6 (not Euro VI). This suggests that motorhomes need to comply with Euro 6 standards not Euro VI.

It might be a typo. However, I suspect whether Euro 6 or Euro VI was applies depends on whether the certification is done before or after conversion. I'm guessing here, but if (say) the platform tested is under 3,500kg then it might be certified as conforming to Euro 6 and subsequent conversion uprates the vehicle to PHGV, the certificate of conformity will still refer to Euro 6?

 

[Pudsey Bear]

That could be how it works, not sure where you would get the info on that though.