ULEZ and Heathrow

[Saintsman]

Don't know if people have heard this.

Drivers who use the meet and greet services at Heathrow are likely to be charged on multiple occasions, due to the car being positioned from the drop-off to and from the actual place of parking (should the car fall foul of the requirements).

Could catch a few people out.

[Asturias56]

https://www.heathrow.com/transport-and-directions/ulezLondon's Ultra Low Emission Zone, or ULEZ, is expanding to encompass all of Greater London, including Heathrow Airport, from the 29 August 2023.The initiative, implemented by Transport for London (TfL), is aimed at reducing air pollution in London. From the 29 August 2023, Heathrow is scheduled to become a part of this zone, meaning that all vehicles entering the airport must meet certain emissions standards in order to avoid paying a daily charge.

The daily charge for non-compliant vehicles is £12.50 for most vehicles, including cars, vans, and motorcycles. The charge will be in addition to any other fees or charges associated with entering the airport.

Please note, the daily charge is only applicable when a vehicle is driven within the ULEZ zone and does not apply when a vehicle remains stationary.

[jolihokistix]

Still not clear, and it would be annoying to be charged twice. I hope my faith in the system is justified and however we move we only pay ULEZ tax once per day.

[davidjohnson6]

Consider an old polluting car owned by somebody who lives slightly outside the ULEZ area but makes multiple trips per day into the ULEZ area - school run, food shops, etc... It would be very unfair for such a person to pay multiple times in a day and would likely be challenged in a court

[netstruggler]

Still not clear, and it would be annoying to be charged twice. I hope my faith in the system is justified and however we move we only pay ULEZ tax once per day.

The last four times I've driven to meet someone from the airport it has involved driving either side of midnight (otherwise I tell them to take the train). That would trigger two ULEZ charges at Heathrow I assume.

I wasn't going to Heathrow. My trips were to Gatwick and Stanstead with flights scheduled to land around midnight or later. Maybe Heathrow has fewer late night arrivals?

[PAXboy]

The charge is for a given calendar day, irrespective of how many times you cross the boundary. If you start another journey ito the zone after 24:00 then another fee is levied. Similar to Congestion Zone, which is one fee for the calendar day. My car is ULEZ compliant and so it will be visiting T5 on Saturday!

[DaveReidUK]

I wasn't going to Heathrow. My trips were to Gatwick and Stanstead with flights scheduled to land around midnight or later. Maybe Heathrow has fewer late night arrivals?

The last arriving flight (TAP from LIS) is due on the gate at 10:55 pm.

[Saintsman]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/heathrow-drivers-face-extra-ulez-charge-use-parking-service/#:~:text=The%20airport%20said%20in%20a,and%20have%20selected %20a%20different

[DaveReidUK]

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/heathrow-drivers-face-extra-ulez-charge-use-parking-service/#:~:text=The%20airport%20said%20in%20a,and%20have%20selected %20a%20different

Looks like a bit of DT scaremongering to me.

You're going to be liable for the ULEZ charge anyway for your departure day and arrival day. The suggestion seems to be that your chosen meet and greet operator may be driving your car around on one or more of the intervening days. If that happened to my car, I'd want to know why.

[PAXboy]

Certainly is the DT scaremongering:
...as a result of Sadiq Khan’s decision to expand London’s Ultra Low Emission Zone...
Here they blame Labour when there is categoric proof that this was supported by the Conservatives, nay, urged by them. Back then, did they calculate that there would be a backlash that they could blame on Khan? :hmm:

They are claiming that now is not the time due to cost of living (which was not their fault) but when is the time?

[Kiltrash]

( Thread Drift...)
I am in Walthamstow for a few days and I have noted several cars that are pre 2005 so whether or not they are Petrol or Diesel they will be assessed for ULEZ.....
If they ever move from their parking position...
Given they are probably owned by people that can't reasonably afford to upgrade to more modern compliant vehicles ..This again seems to be adversely hammering the poorest in our land...

[davidjohnson6]

I live in London, am aged under 50 and do things like hiking 10+ miles in countryside. I have asthma and typically once a year I end up in hospital at short notice inhaling all sorts of drugs through a mask to ensure I can breathe normally. I am very grateful to the NHS for being there

I can see a strong argument in favour of ULEZ... much like coal fires were largely banned following the great smogs of the 1950s, even if banning coal fires then made life difficult for the urban poor

[Max Angle]

And don't rely on the fact that there are no cameras in the T5 area at the moment, they have been using van mounted mobile cameras in the T5 and perimeter road area over the last few days.

[DaveReidUK]

And don't rely on the fact that there are no cameras in the T5 area at the moment, they have been using van mounted mobile cameras in the T5 and perimeter road area over the last few days.

Heathrow's, TFL's or police ?

[PAXboy]

These would be TFL as it is their regulations and enforcement.

[jolihokistix]

Bit the bullet today and signed up for TFL's automated tax system. It was working this time.
(My car is compliant with the letter of the law, but as a personal import it was rejected.)

Family run @12.50 GBP plus petrol/gasoline, plus 5 GBP drop-off is still cheaper than hiring a taxi to Heathrow. We have decided to try and do as many household chores as possible in a single day to spread out the hit to the wallet. Never drove her much anyway, but we like the option for emergencies. :ouch:

The hidden problem is that when you consider their conditions and sign up to these things (on-street parking for example), they turn around and jack up the charges, repeatedly, which I did not sign up to.

[papabravowhiskey]

Bit the bullet today and signed up for TFL's automated tax system. It was working this time.
(My car is compliant with the letter of the law, but as a personal import it was rejected.)

if your vehicle is compliant but not recognised as being so, there is a process that you can go through to get it recognised:
https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/driving/compliance-registration/before-you-start

Some diesels registered before September 2015 are Euro 6 compliant, and some petrol cars registered in the early 2000s are Euro 4 compliant.

[Asturias56]

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1Us9USuI5Vn4TenF8pVEKHCgUPtfN7pM&hl=en_US&ll=51.40650074683175%2C-0.32572546790212265&z=15

Julies ULEZ map shows current state of play including damaged cameras

the good people of S London clearly have some issues

[PAXboy]

At some point, pollution has to be tackled and it always costs money. I know that many see this as just a tax grab but maybe when they installed London's sewers following The Great Stink of the 1870s and the Great Smog (ref above) of 1952, providing the Thames Barrier - all need to be done. And in other cities. Low emission zones are being introduced into other cities in the UK.