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It is the heavy diesel vehicles that are the problem - i.e. buses and taxis mainly, but also commercial vans and trucks. A universal diesel ban (including publ
by mattlondon 7y ago
It is the heavy diesel vehicles that are the problem - i.e. buses and taxis mainly, but also commercial vans and trucks.
A universal diesel ban (including public transport) would go a long way to improving air quality IMO. There are viable electric buses, but apparently the way TfL runs it's contracts means it is not commercially viable for bus companies to use EV buses (due to requiring new vehicles on new contracts, but the contracts not being long enough to recoup the costs of EV buses Vs cheaper diesel)
Unfortunately the black cab unions have TfL by the balls so they'll never ban them (just like how black cabs are somehow exempt from ULEZ)
Yes EV vehicles still create brake and tyre particles, but EVs use brake pads less, and I'd rather have just the brake pad and tyre particles to deal with, rahlther than brake, tyre AND diesel particulates.
- Reason077 7y agoNew diesel cabs can no longer be licensed in London. All new licensed taxis must be zero-emissions capable, ie: electric. As London taxi licenses expire after 15 years, the last diesel cabs will be gone by the end of 2032. But given how many electrics there already are, in practice the vast majority will be electric long before then. I agree that more needs to be done about buses. We are starting to see some electric buses, but they're not being rolled out fast enough. TfL needs to stop buying new diesel buses immediately.
- NeedMoreTea 7y agoWell if BoJo had thought a little more on the new Routemaster. Contracts may be from Westminster - as that sounds just like the idiocy of UK railways that had a very similar issue. Exempting cabs from the ULEZ is bizarre and unforgivable. It could have been a perfect push to electric.
- detaro 7y agoNot just new vehicles: moving to electric busses also needs a bunch of other initial infrastructure investment, from chargers, potentially more depot space to power grid improvements to actually feed a depot full of charging busses.