{"id":14898,"date":"2017-10-23T12:34:43","date_gmt":"2017-10-23T11:34:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevoiceoflondon.co.uk\/?p=14898"},"modified":"2017-10-23T12:34:43","modified_gmt":"2017-10-23T11:34:43","slug":"10-toxic-air-charge-starts-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.westminster.ac.uk\/thevoiceoflondon\/10-toxic-air-charge-starts-today\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a310 Toxic Air Charge starts today, and it might save your life"},"content":{"rendered":"
Great news for the lungs of Londoners as the government tripple charges for \u2018toxic\u2019 engines driving through London.<\/div>\n
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But, bad news for drivers of older cars who, from today, have to face a \u00a315.00 penalty if they\u2019re travelling through central London.<\/div>\n
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A \u00a310.00 T-charge will apply to vehicles that do not meet low emissions targets set by the mayor of London’s office.<\/div>\n
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London black cabs at a taxi rank at Covent Garden.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The charge applies\u00a0between 7am and 6pm\u00a0from Monday to Friday\u00a0when driving through selected central London areas, in addition to the \u00a35.00 congestion charge which applies to all of us without a zero emissions car.<\/p>\n

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There are now more deaths from air pollution than HIV<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Diesel Vehicles, where Nitrous Oxide production overtakes Carbon Dioxide as the bigger health concern, are the main target of the scheme.<\/p>\n

But with 99% of black cabs and buses being at least partially diesel reliant, others are asking whether the charge will have much impact on our air quality.<\/p>\n

Famously, in the first week of\u00a02017, Brixton high street<\/a>\u00a0exceeded its annual EU quota of \u2018toxic fume\u2019 production allowance.<\/p>\n

On most London high streets, main roads and side streets, in zone one and beyond, buses and black cabs are still plague our air.<\/p>\n

More effort is being made to move away from diesel and fossil fuels all together.<\/p>\n

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Diesel was once the wonder fuel<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Diesel was once peddled by governments and the EU as a ‘wonder fuel’ which would help save the planet at a cheaper price for the consumer. Take a look at this seriously hard to believe\u00a0Superbowl advert<\/a>\u00a0from Audi to see how our attitudes have changed.<\/p>\n