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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: Varche on 31 May 2021, 07:57:37

Title: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Varche on 31 May 2021, 07:57:37
Just been reading about the charges for this. £8 for car and £50 for a lorry.

You cannot argue against the concept of saving lives by reducing pollution but that is a hefty payment. I can see some businesses losing custom.

I spent a few years working in the centre of Birmigham in the 90’s. I used to mix driving and train. Both had their pluses and minuses.

Anyone on here going to be affected?
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Rangie on 31 May 2021, 10:29:36
Simply a licence to print money, I'm sure struggling businesses need this like a hole in the head.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Auto Addict on 31 May 2021, 10:34:50
Just been reading about the charges for this. £8 for car and £50 for a lorry.

You cannot argue against the concept of saving lives by reducing pollution but that is a hefty payment. I can see some businesses losing custom.

I spent a few years working in the centre of Birmigham in the 90’s. I used to mix driving and train. Both had their pluses and minuses.

Anyone on here going to be affected?

I've lived in Birmingham most of my life, and I have avoided going into the City Centre for several years now, waste of time.

It will soon become a ghost city.

The Labour council is altering roads left right and centre to make it more difficult to get around by car, causing more traffic jams, hence increasing pollution.

They expect all the O.A.P's to do their weekly shop at Tescos on a push bike.

Loads of buses being subsidised all travelling about empty.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Nick W on 31 May 2021, 10:38:45
So it's just the area inside the inner ring road, that's about 2miles across?
Just how many people actually need to drive inside it?
Like the congestion zone in London it seems to be easily avoided by using roads better suited.


The idea of deliberately driving into any large city just because you have a car is crazy
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Varche on 31 May 2021, 11:03:22
Last time we went to the centre was just before the pandemic. To the Jewelry quarter. Easy drive in, park up, sell a load of gold, buy some tat, have a coffee and drive out. Must be loads of people who do the same. Public transport isn’t that convenient especially if you aren’t too mobile.

The time before that was to take two olds to the new Bullring shopping centre. Came back with a car load of purchases. Couldn’t have done that on public transport.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Nick W on 31 May 2021, 11:08:30
Last time we went to the centre was just before the pandemic. To the Jewelry quarter. Easy drive in, park up, sell a load of gold, buy some tat, have a coffee and drive out. Must be loads of people who do the same. Public transport isn’t that convenient especially if you aren’t too mobile.

The time before that was to take two olds to the new Bullring shopping centre. Came back with a car load of purchases. Couldn’t have done that on public transport.


Do you think either of those things are going to possible in the post-Covid urban retail wasteland? :)
Although there is a crystal clear view of the Wasteland....
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Varche on 31 May 2021, 13:50:13
No. Online is the future.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: VXL V6 on 31 May 2021, 14:00:20
So it's just the area inside the inner ring road, that's about 2miles across?
Just how many people actually need to drive inside it?
Like the congestion zone in London it seems to be easily avoided by using roads better suited.


The idea of deliberately driving into any large city just because you have a car is crazy

Fortunately I haven't needed to go into Birmingham City centre for many years, however London congestion charge etc zones, usually at least once a week with work.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Doctor Gollum on 31 May 2021, 17:28:15
No. Online is the future.
Not your local village it isn't  :-X
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: TheBoy on 31 May 2021, 17:53:06
Anyone on here going to be affected?
Yup, my new office is right in the centre, when they finish building it.

As others have said, its simply a lame excuse to raise money to pull down statues, and otherwise piss it up the wall, just like London.


Places like the Bullring will ultimately close - double whammy of losing their large stores already, plus the fact nobody will drive there to do, say, xmas shopping.  Then suddenly, the council will be crying that the centre has died, and how its everybody's fault but theirs....   ....much like Oxford city council ;D
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: STEMO on 31 May 2021, 17:55:20
Anyone on here going to be affected?
Yup, my new office is right in the centre, when they finish building it.

As others have said, its simply a lame excuse to raise money to pull down statues, and otherwise piss it up the wall, just like London.


Places like the Bullring will ultimately close - double whammy of losing their large stores already, plus the fact nobody will drive there to do, say, xmas shopping.  Then suddenly, the council will be crying that the centre has died, and how its everybody's fault but theirs....   ....much like Oxford city council ;D
And, of course, they get no money from the charge  :)
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Auto Addict on 31 May 2021, 18:44:02
Anyone on here going to be affected?
Yup, my new office is right in the centre, when they finish building it.

As others have said, its simply a lame excuse to raise money to pull down statues, and otherwise piss it up the wall, just like London.


Places like the Bullring will ultimately close - double whammy of losing their large stores already, plus the fact nobody will drive there to do, say, xmas shopping.  Then suddenly, the council will be crying that the centre has died, and how its everybody's fault but theirs....   ....much like Oxford city council ;D
And, of course, they get no money from the charge  :)

They are causing congestion elseware, so they will have an excuse to widen the scheme until it takes in the whole of Birmingham.

Everyone will be confined to their houses, and only be able to order online.

Every road will become a bus or cycle lane if this council have their way.

They've already had to back track on the Bristol Road, after spending millions, as it made it too dangerous, now they're spending millions putting it back to how it was - yet the idiots keep voting them back it.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Lizzie Zoom on 31 May 2021, 20:25:15
If Birmingham really wanted clean air they should work with the government to stop the terrible congestion that brings both the M6, especially at the junction of the M5, and the M42 to frequent standstills.

The hours I have wasted sitting still on those roads over many years.......!!! >:( >:(
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Raeturbo on 01 June 2021, 00:32:36
If Birmingham really wanted clean air they should work with the government to stop the terrible congestion that brings both the M6, especially at the junction of the M5, and the M42 to frequent standstills.

The hours I have wasted sitting still on those roads over many years.......!!! >:( >:(
.
                100% true🌹
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: deviator on 01 June 2021, 12:01:23
Comparing the Birmingham not so stealth tax with London, the difference is, in London, you need to move around, sometimes that is by car. If you live around Birmingham, you can choose to go somewhere else and it's not a massive inconvenience. The audience up here is no where near as captive. Also, people are tighter with money up here.

Why pay the council £8 to drive on the roads you already pay for when you can go to Solihull and basically get a free lunch on the money you saved.

I don't think northerners will accept it anywhere near as much as London did and I really hope that is the case, before we see this everywhere.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: STEMO on 01 June 2021, 12:10:27
Comparing the Birmingham not so stealth tax with London, the difference is, in London, you need to move around, sometimes that is by car. If you live around Birmingham, you can choose to go somewhere else and it's not a massive inconvenience. The audience up here is no where near as captive. Also, people are tighter with money up here.

Why pay the council £8 to drive on the roads you already pay for when you can go to Solihull and basically get a free lunch on the money you saved.

I don't think northerners will accept it anywhere near as much as London did and I really hope that is the case, before we see this everywhere.
And the further north you go, the tighter people become.
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: scimmy_man on 01 June 2021, 15:45:23
true ;D
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: ronnyd on 01 June 2021, 18:00:50
Comparing the Birmingham not so stealth tax with London, the difference is, in London, you need to move around, sometimes that is by car. If you live around Birmingham, you can choose to go somewhere else and it's not a massive inconvenience. The audience up here is no where near as captive. Also, people are tighter with money up here.

Why pay the council £8 to drive on the roads you already pay for when you can go to Solihull and basically get a free lunch on the money you saved.

I don't think northerners will accept it anywhere near as much as London did and I really hope that is the case, before we see this everywhere.
And the further north you go, the tighter people become.
Which is further north, Barnsley or Liverpool.  ;) Just asking. :-*
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Nick W on 01 June 2021, 18:29:57
Comparing the Birmingham not so stealth tax with London, the difference is, in London, you need to move around, sometimes that is by car. If you live around Birmingham, you can choose to go somewhere else and it's not a massive inconvenience. The audience up here is no where near as captive. Also, people are tighter with money up here.

Why pay the council £8 to drive on the roads you already pay for when you can go to Solihull and basically get a free lunch on the money you saved.

I don't think northerners will accept it anywhere near as much as London did and I really hope that is the case, before we see this everywhere.
And the further north you go, the tighter people become.
Which is further north, Barnsley or Liverpool.  ;) Just asking. :-*


Distance is irrelevant once you pass Watford Gap ;D
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: TheBoy on 02 June 2021, 18:37:43
If Birmingham really wanted clean air they should work with the government to stop the terrible congestion that brings both the M6, especially at the junction of the M5, and the M42 to frequent standstills.

The hours I have wasted sitting still on those roads over many years.......!!! >:( >:(
I'm guessing you haven't been that way for years ;D
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: Migv6 le Frog Fan on 02 June 2021, 18:39:17
If people wanted to live in clean fresh fragrant air, I would guess that they wouldnt live in Birmingham.  ::) ;D
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: redelitev6 on 02 June 2021, 18:42:10
I can well imagine Newcastle City council trying something like this  >:(
Title: Re: Birmingham Clean Air zone
Post by: New POD on 02 June 2021, 22:10:08
My son works for PWC in the city centre. Part of his work requires him to go to client sites to do auditing.  If hes not he cycles down a canel tow path. He has an immaculate W reg 21.5 year old Astra with only 65k on the clock. Up to now he's been happy to use his own car because the 45p a mile pays for the running costs on his car. It's a bit shite really.