Even worse is that our European "low emissions zones" are forcing us to buy new cars (not seond hand ones). Al for the environment right? It is a 360€ fine every time we cross such a zone in an older car.
So if you can't afford a new car, they fine you for it pretty hefty. Long live the rich.
Low emission zones essentially just reduce the amount of cars where the zones are located - i.e highly urbanized areas with great non-car mobility options. While maybe not implemented in the very best way, they are on balance a positive policy.
Except it doesn't were we live in Antwerp. Covid prooved that. Our emissions come from the port. During lockdown, it was a year with very little travel. Emissions stayed the same.
Where is there an LEZ that forces you to buy a 'new car'? The ones I'm aware of require compliance with either fairly or very old emissions standards.
For example, in London, the ULEZ requires that petrol cars be Euro 4 (every UK vehicle since 2006 complies automatically) and diesel cars to be Euro 6 (mandatory for new cars since mid-2015). So, worst case, the vehicle needs to be newer than eight years old. More than 90% of vehicles driving into the expanded ULEZ area were already compliant before it became active.
Yes at least 8 years or younger. That is mad. You can afford a new car every 8 yrs? I cannot.
The statistics of the 90% are meaningless. You have to be dumb to drive a non-compliant car into a LEZ. So yea, 90% is complaint, I don't need a statistic for that. I can also tell you that 90% of people who drink are thirsty.
You misunderstand the statistic. The 90% compliance measures cars that were driving into a future LEZ area. There was no need for any of those vehicles to be compliant at the time of measurement. The measurements were performed to analyse the impact that the new LEZ would have when introduced.
Additionally, I think it's extremely misleading to say that you need to buy a new car every eight years. In this case, you might need to buy a used car that is already eight years old (or much older if petrol). They are not expensive compared to new cars. In the case of London there has also been a scrappage scheme to assist people, though this probably isn't available everywhere.
man Europe is absurd in this regard: cars are almost the same for what ? 40 years or more ? only minor changes are implemented from a model to another. if cars were upgradeable there necessarily would be way less metal junk and everyone could afford a personal mean of transport