Is it a pointless gesture to increase the charge of 4x4's entering London?

[Alex]

I like all motor vehicles so don't get me wrong but I think that 4x4s are more of a rural vehicle. Our city streets are too small for the biggins and every time I see the classic huge car with one small child nestled in the back I wonder where the logic is. Ken is trying to deter this i believe. I drive a Golf that comfortably fits five and is very economical, in case you were wondering.

[NickN]

Serves them right for voting the little reptile in.Funny how a 1.2 litre Fiat Panda 4x4 is seen by loony Ken as being less environmentally friendly than a 6 litre S class Merc!Tip for Londoners: buy as big a tractor as you can (I'm talking about REAL tractors, Massey Fergusons etc. - don't worry, nowadays they're quite posh inside, aircon, leather, CD) As they're classed as agricultural vehicles, they are exempt from CCharge, AND you can legally park them anywhere!

[pbieagles]

Get it right. 4X4s weren't mentioned. It's any vehicle which exceeds the emission limits set, could be 4X4, 4X2, 6X4 etc. Many 2 wheel drive cars exceed these limits.

[BobJones]

FFS why is it always 4x4s in the headlines any large engined car is going to pollute more than a friggin bicycle, the fact that its a 4x4 makes no diffrence to the emissions whatsoever all it means is it has a diffrent system of gears so unless its the work of the devil himself how can a 4x4 be worse than a Jag or 3litre BMW or any number of other cars and what about the poorly maintaned small cars that never get serviced from one year to the next can you imagine the muck they pump out.I have a 4x4 infact i have two so stick that in your pipe and smoke it, i can carry myself and SIX passengers in my car that is doing the work of two normal cars so its cuts overall pollution and eases the crowded roads plus i get a good view of all the cyclists who have a death wish.You will see many Land rovers still on the road that are 30 or 40 years old, not just now and again but every day how many of your small green cars would you have gone through in the same time scale, at least four or five i bet.Hybrid cars are a sham im afraid, have you any idea of the cost to the enviroment involved in making all those batteries, batteries that have a very short working life and then need to disposed of where is all that toxic waste from inside them going to go? and where does the electricity come from to charge your batteries most likely from coal burning power stations or nuclear staions both very kind to mother nature im sure!!!!

[inagaddadavida_loca]

I love cars but I personally believe there is no need for 4x4s in London, they are totally unnecessary! Why is it that the drivers always seem to be on their mobile phones and driving really badly? Where I live in London the roads are fairly narrow but 2 cars can just about pass each other unless one is a 4x4, and guess who usually does the reversing. A 4x4 is more likely to roll over in an accident than any other car. 4x4 drivers seem to think they are safe cars but they are not thinking about other drivers and pedestrians. If you are behind a 4x4 in a traffic jam you can't see what's ahead. If a child is hit by one they have no chance. I was once parked behind a 4x4 just getting on to my motorcycle when the 4x4 suddenly reversed and knocked over my bike, I managed to jump out the way, I had to shout and bang on the side of the car to get the driver to stop. This all happened right outside a school where the driver had just picked up her child. Thank god it was my bike she hit and not a child! I agree that 4x4s have their uses (farms etc.) but If it was up to me I would ban all 4x4s from London except in cases where people really need them.

[amansscientiae]

yes we live in north wales and own 2 4x4 because its the only way to get up the 4 mile track to our house we used to drive to London frequently but haven't bean in over 1 year because of the cost of entering and fuel because of the new tax thing on all 4x4 we are having to move house and sel both cars it ridicule's we could have the track tarmacked but because of its length and width it would cost nearly as much as two brand new cars ridicule's huh