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View Full Version : Classic Car petition--- Reply from downing st



Cormac
23-04-08, 04:48 PM
i signed a petition a few months ago on classic cars and some councils thinking on banning them.. details below..

Details of Petition:
"Several EU proposals across the years are dangerous to the classic car movement. One that has been under consideration is to ban the use of cars older than 10 years. Similarly, Edinburgh City Council is considering the banning of cars over 15 years old from the town centre. These, and similar, proposals directly threaten the classic car movement, and encourage the manufacture of new cars, with the attendent environmental issues of sourcing raw materials, manufacturing, distriuting and scrapping the spiralling supply of new vehicles."

Got a reply this morning,

Thank you for taking the time to register your views about classic cars on the Downing Street website.
There is currently no proposal either at EU or domestic level to ban cars over a certain age.
Clearly, vehicle emissions are a concern not just from a local air quality perspective but, increasingly, due to their contribution to climate change. Therefore, the European Commission has proposed setting CO2 targets for car manufacturers, but these would only affect new cars. Also, the targets would be based on averages rather than enforced limits or bans.

There is also no EU or UK policy to provide incentives for scrapping old vehicles. A programme of incentives to phase out the most polluting vehicles was considered as part of the national Air Quality Strategy Review (June 2007). Two scenarios were modelled: the first considered incentives for the scrapping of all cars that were not compliant with the Euro 1 standard, while the second considered Euro 1 standard cars as well as all the pre-Euro cars. This analysis suggested that both scenarios would result in a large net cost to society and represented poor value for money, mainly due to the high cost of useful resources being destroyed (i.e. roadworthy cars being scrapped). This could also involve negative environmental effects, as the petition outlines. As a result, the Air Quality Strategy classified this measure as 'no longer under immediate consideration', which remains true today.

Local authorities are able to develop, implement and manage their own local air quality management schemes, allowing them to focus measures on priorities in their area. The Low Emission Zone (LEZ) operating in London is a prominent example. It currently applies to lorries over 12 tonnes, but will eventually apply to lighter vehicles such as large vans. However, cars, motorcycles and small vans (below 1.205 tonnes in unladen weight) are not affected. For the vehicles that are included, there is an exemption for 'historic vehicles' built before 1st January 1973.


Does anyone beleve what the goverment tells us? They seem to do what they like in most cases..

krobinson
23-04-08, 06:27 PM
I got that reply too.. Hooraaaayy!!

Lee
23-04-08, 06:31 PM
Like it matters anyway. They'll just stick old cars in a ludicrously expensive tax band instead, making them impossible to run cheaply.

Mike
23-04-08, 06:34 PM
^ agreed with Lee.

They couldnt "ban" classic/old car anyway, it would lead to a public outcry! Company fleet owners, not so well off familys and single parents with old cars would be drastically hit.

Its a load of b@llocks, i dont know why anyone even took the time to reply.

ade
24-04-08, 12:20 AM
thank god sense finally kicked in.

Think theres more important stuff (eg the amount of polution the states and china and most of the feckin UK busses pump out) rather than worrying about a bunch of old vintage cars.

Jack
24-04-08, 09:25 AM
What they really mean is "you're all a bunch of suckers who fell for it" lol

I do like how they nearly hint at the fact running a 20+ year old car is more "green" than a brand new car :p

I reckon within 10 or so years they'll have changed the tax bandings for older cars. My bet is the <'73 tax free will remain, but the <>1500 dual rate will change to some extortionate fee, or change to the emissions bands of current cars - with an added premium because they're older and "more polluting" in terms of air quality etc.

Stuart
24-04-08, 09:28 AM
have you seen the processing effort that goes into making CATs? lol

they run V8's on dynos 24hrs a day to develop new cats, then there is the rediculous platinum and other precious metal processing etc..... I honestly believe that having a CAT on the car is technically worse than not having one, if you look at the bigger picture of manufacturing ungreeness

craig green
24-04-08, 09:36 AM
Its a load of b@llocks, i dont know why anyone even took the time to reply.

Amen.

Jack
24-04-08, 09:52 AM
have you seen the processing effort that goes into making CATs? lol

they run V8's on dynos 24hrs a day to develop new cats, then there is the rediculous platinum and other precious metal processing etc..... I honestly believe that having a CAT on the car is technically worse than not having one, if you look at the bigger picture of manufacturing ungreeness
Yep, isn't Platinum starting to get a little thin on the ground as well these days...?

Dod
24-04-08, 10:08 AM
Its a government conspiricy. Havent any of you ever seen the X-Files??

Basicially folks, if this comes into play its game over.

Over here its illegal to have ANY non Factory Tinted windows, Non Standard Exhausts and lowered cars that wont drive onto the Vehicle Testing equipment are deemd unroad worthy.

Stuart
24-04-08, 10:24 AM
Yep, isn't Platinum starting to get a little thin on the ground as well these days...?
http://www.platinum.matthey.com/publications/price_reports.html

rather pricey, even coming form the main user lol