Porsche Cars GBs management announced yesterday that it planned to apply for a judicial review of the £25 daily charge to be levied from 1st October on cars emitting over 225 g/km in the London Congestion Charge zone, if Mayor Ken Livingstone does not respond to a written request to reconsider the plan within 14 days.
Porsche believes the proposed increase in the congestion charge for Band G cars is unfair, that the increase of 3025% for Central London residents who have hitherto paid 80p a day - is disproportionate and that it will do nothing to achieve the stated aim of decreasing emissions in central London.
Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars GB, said, A massive congestion charge increase is quite simply unjust. Thousands of car owners driving a huge range of cars will be hit by a disproportionate tax which is clear will have a very limited effect on CO2 emissions.
Mr Goss added, Not only is this rise completely unfair to many drivers, but it will also damage London based-businesses of all sizes, and successful people from across the world will start to think twice about basing themselves here if they think they are going to be used as cash cows for City Hall. The proposed increase will be bad for London as a whole and will send out the signal that it is not serious about establishing itself as the best place in the world to do business.
Speaking to reporters about Porsches challenge yesterday, Mr. Livingstone said, "No one is allowed to throw their rubbish in the street and Porsche should not be allowed to impose gas guzzling polluting cars on Londoners who do not want them," he told reporters.
The planned linkage of revised congestion charges to CO2 emissions bands is expected to have minimal effect on carbon emissions in London, but the Mayor has said, reports Automotive News Europe, that it would discourage people from driving polluting cars in the city centre and encourage manufacturers to make cleaner engines.
|
