Politics - Dirty Diesels

Damned Dirty Diesel Cars.

or How The Politicians Are Wrong, Once Again, And Joe Public Pays The Price.

Firstly, let me say that I am not a car driver and never will be.  I take public transport by choice.  Though that doesn't stop me from siding with the car drivers all over the world, with these new legislations that are coming in.

London, now not only has a congestion charge but a diesel charge as Mayor Sadiq Kahn announced steep fines for the most polluting diesel vehicles.  So it's not a set price; it all depends on the car you are driving.  The government is also expected to roll out similar levies in approximately thirty-five other towns and cities.

Why am I against this?

It wasn't so long ago that our magnificent government dropped the price of diesel to help persuade drivers to change over to that type of engine.  Why?  Because at that time is was deemed cleaner and more efficient.  I know three or four drivers who changed over.

Now, we are told that the findings this was based on were wrong and that they are not that clean and in truth are a major contributor to our air quality deteriorating, as they produce more nitrogen oxides and soot than gasoline vehicles.

So why does the diesel car driver have to pay for a politician's mistake(?)  They shouldn't.

What the Mayor of London and the thirty-five Mayors of the to-be-named towns and cities should do is take a list of all the diesel vehicles that pollute their townships and send the invoice to Parliment so the monies can come out of the politicians own pockets.

It was their mistake let them pay for it.

At least the European Union is going after the manufacturers and not the drivers.

Also, if diesel engines are so bad then why are we still selling them... or even producing them?

Wouldn't it be a more sensible for the Government to show a bit of courage and ban the importing and selling of the damned dirty diesel car?  This would then, over a course of time, reduce the harmful emissions and not penalise the driver for taking a politicians advice - silly driver.

But wait a minute, what am I thinking(?)  This would stop them from making more money out of us...  In fact, haven't they just found a way to tax the very air we breathe(?)

It's nice to know they think of their pockets before they think of their people.