Make 4x4 Owners Pay More Charges, Say Londoners
Date: 21-Aug-06
Country: UK
Research by Ispos-MORI on behalf of the Greater London Authority (GLA) found 68 percent of Londoners would be happier with fewer Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVS) on the city's congested streets.
"Two thirds of Londoners back the idea that cars that do more damage to the environment should pay a higher congestion charge, and the same number want cars that do less damage to pay a lower charge," said London Mayor Ken Livingstone.
Livingstone has proposed drivers of the least environmentally friendly vehicles should face charges of up to 25 pounds a day to enter the capital's central congestion zone, compared with the current rate of eight pounds for all cars.
But the findings of the poll -- conducted among 1,006 Londoners in July -- contrast with actual sales of 4x4 vehicles, mockingly dubbed "Chelsea Tractors" by their critics after the upmarket London district where they are especially popular.
Research in February showed Londoners were twice as likely as other Britons to buy off-roaders. One in six people in the capital who were looking to replace their car in 2006 said they would buy a 4x4, according to the AA.
Although there have been attempts by green groups to make driving a big 4x4 socially unacceptable, the national market for off-roaders remains strong.
Last year just over 187,000 were sold, representing 7.7 percent of the market, compared with 3.9 percent 10 years ago.
