London’s Ulez battle: blade runners, dinosaurs and conspiracy theories

The UK capital's ultra-low emission zone charges the drivers of more polluting road vehicles every time they enter the city. But since the Ulez was extended to the whole of London by the city's mayor, Sadiq Khan, the backlash has become increasingly ferocious.
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Self-styled ‘blade runners’ are waging a campaign to cut down Ulez cameras, activists wearing inflatable dinosaur outfits track and block mobile vans and protesters regularly turn out to drive anger against the mayor and expansion of the scheme. While many protesters hold legitimate concerns about the Ulez expansion, the Guardian’s Richard Sprenger discovers that conspiracy theories are never far from the surface.
London Ulez averts more air pollution than that caused by capital’s airports, report shows ► www.theguardia...
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#Ulez #ulezexpansion #bladerunner #ulezdinosaurs #ulezprotest #London #UK #Pollution #Climate #News

[@malc.s.5373]

Whatever people's views on pollution, the poor are being hit again, whilst "leaders" continue to travel the world in private jets. Would be nice to see them set an example.

[@VVayVVard]

The poor... who somehow still can afford cars and gasoline. Actually poor people walk, use public transit or ride bicycles, and are not affected whatsoever.

[@mrmr4622]

The thing is, while you can kinda debate climate change, its causes and effects, the pollution is not a matter of opinion, we are objectively and explicitly polluting our air, water and soil which then gets to the food supply and affects our health.

[@Dcc-yk2lo]

Get a grip none of the people in this video are fucking poor.

[@garnhamr]

it's the wrong way to go about it

[@mral4381]

Mainstream news channels seem to tow the authoritarian line but rarely provide objective journalism.

[@TheSpuggy1965]

They say we must reduce pollution but if you pay them £12.50 you can pollute as much as you like. It’s not about pollution is it?

[@seanhubbard6033]

Google the word "disincentive"

[@VVayVVard]

The fact that people are raising noise about this means that it's effective. Which indicates that it is, in fact, about pollution. As it happens, people tend to respond to incentives, even relatively minor ones.

[@riazuddin1761]

Your comment sums it up

[@dulcettonezzz8229]

@@seanhubbard6033google the word racket

[@Luzitanium]

is the same with plastic bags, but then most of the food is under plastic packages

[@debbiewright8452]

If youre rich, you can pollute, Guardian

[@mcihs2]

If you are rich you can do whatever you want, rules are for the peasants….

[@nektekket852]

And if you're educated , you might know what you're talking about. I ❤ ULEZ

[@88ST3V307]

​@@nektekket852I suppose you mean 'University' educated? Ugghhhh.. 😒

[@micksroversmg558]

@@mcihs2 Aye exactly laws are too keep rich rich and poor poorer!

[@Grievance_Studies_Affair_2018]

@@nektekket852 You probably loved diesel too, back when government said it was more eco than petrol. Authority worshipper.

[@AJTrain]

ULEZ is bizarre. How my 1.2 fiesta can be charged for being too polluting but a 6.3 litre Mercedes with a modified exhaust removing all catalytic converters is fine and free to drive in London is ridiculous.

[@Jim90117]

You can drive a Bentley Continental GT with a twin-turbocharged, 6-litre W12 straight through London and not pick up a charge.

[@BCrossing]

It's impossible to know about modifications (between MOT checks). And engines have got better. But fair point. Maybe anyone driving alone in a car that is more polluting than a 1.2 fiesta, even if it is a brand new supercar, should pay for unnecessary extra pollution of their unnecessary 9000 litre engine

[@NickArthfael]

Not sure if it's the case in the UK but the system for the low emission zones in France is f'ed up as it is based on production year rather than actual emissions. Just to give you a bit of perspective, my 206 GTi from 1999 has the same emissions (185 g/km) as the Yaris GR from 2023 (186 g/km). So why I can't drive to any city and the Yaris can? Once again it's the middle class and below that has to pay the price.

[@Military872]

Some Doctors are driving around in Bentley Continentals, big money in the Covid jabs and Big Pharma@@BCrossing

[@Luftkuhlt964]

Or all day in a euro 6 diesel is better than 10 mins in a euro 3 petrol

[@grifda]

While those that make the rules with the global 2030 cities fly in their private jets eating steak telling us we need to cut our CO2 emissions. Blade runners are the real heroes.

[@goclunker]

To add to your comment: aviation is completely unregulated and the BIGGEST polluter, but that is all swept under the rug

[@khalidacosta7133]

Air pollution in London is not a conspiracy theory. It's a disagreement on WHO pays for the cost. The wealthy person who pollutes the most or the people close to poverty who pollutes the least. We live in a world where the wealthy can use a private jet to go right into the centre of London but a pensioner with an old, small vehicle is charged £40. See the problem now? Even at the Teddington Action Group, which Khan used the data from to oppose a third runway at Heathrow, the study showed 50% of NOx was caused by Heathrow.... 10 miles away!

[@insertnamehere5146]

The rich would happily pay more if it meant getting the poor and working class out of vehicles and on buses and bikes. This would leave the roads empty for them in their expensive cars to cruise about

[@MrGhostTube]

Poor people live in the most polluted areas so there's that. The rich own more cars. Nobody featured in this video is poor. They're conspiracy theorist headbangers mostly.

[@MarkeyJester]

The air quality has been checked throughout London, independently, multiple times, from its bussiest roads, to its quietest parks, it's always revealed to be worse on the London Underground, but never on the surface. In fairness, I have no idea why that is, I'm more than happy to admit my ignorance, but to outright ignore these tests and pretend it's exclusively vehicles sounds very dodgy to me. My brother theorised perhaps it is the vehicles and the emmision gasses are seeping to the lowest places in London (which happens to be the Underground), but this throws away the greenhouse theory; for if the emmisions go subsurface then they aren't rising to the atmosphere. Really the only thing I can be certain of, is being gaslit into thinking we're exclusively the problem. Until this is resolved, and perhaps the bigger players take responsibility for their own involvement, I don't think I can blindly be played for a fool.

[@sammy99jsp]

​@@MarkeyJesterI believe the poor air quality on the Underground comes from mainly a lack of ventilation, especially in deep-level tube lines. So when trains come in, and produce brake dust, and other pollutants, the dirty air just kind of sits there. If I'm not mistaken, stations also rely on the flow of the trains themselves through the tunnels to provide circulation. Tbh, I think money raised from ULEZ should probably mostly go to fixing the ventilation issue on the tube - but, with so many old stations, the cost'd be enormous to fit proper ventilation.

[@Super-id7bq]

@@MarkeyJester levels on the underground are completely irrelevant to the objective fact that man made global warming is real. It's completely incidental and changes nothing about the fact Co2 is trapped by ice that gets released as the planet is warmed by man made pollutants and greenhouse gasses.

[@nosferatut9084]

People in the UK and Ireland need to stop voting for the Major Parties or this will never stop.

[@crackthefoundation_]

Same here, in America..

[@cloudbasenirvana]

Do you really believe they are voted in - it's us and them. The Left/Right - Red/Blue - Lab/Con serve the same anti-human tyrannical puppet master.

[@telx2010]

Democracy is just an illusion.

[@lorddoobsworth144]

Need to stop voting full stop. It's two wings of the same bird. Mass non-compliance is whats needed IMO.

[@jimadam6706]

There's only 1 systems we just get to pick which one makes them the most money just in different ways

[@Beatlefan67]

If my car passed its MOT on emissions but still gets £12.50/day for this ULEZ nonsense, it makes no sense!

[@duncanbananatyne3890]

It is because your car spews out too much crap in the first place.

[@alex-E7WHU]

​@@duncanbananatyne3890 bit like your mouth then.

[@Anonymous-gf6ob]

@@duncanbananatyne3890 why let it out on the road then? My car puts out the same emmissions as an early transit van (which is a lot, more than 4x4s), but it's Ulez compliant. My dads - for reference - puts out about 1/8th less and isn't Ulez compliant. Where is the logic in this whole thing?

[@bruhbruh2290]

the pollution is worse on the london underground than the busiest road in london rushour.@@duncanbananatyne3890

[@landmark4928]

Don't dragons spit flame

[@TonyTheNerd]

If 95% of vehicles meet the ulez clean air standards - why have this massive expense of a camera network to monitor all the vehicles and to charge the 5% who are unable at this point in time of buying a new car? WHY???

[@cloudbasenirvana]

The enslavement of the human race - AGENDA21. EV designed to fail from day one. Once all ICE vehicles are gone the EV power network will go down and EV ends so all forced to travel on public transport - only travel to timetabled places at timetabled times and only carry what you can physically hand carry. This was all planned a very, very very, long time ago.

[@tilerman]

Just look at the money coming in from those 5%, now imagine when 100% pay, thats whats coming.

[@robbailie5878]

Because in a years time it will only be 90% once they move the goalposts.

[@_______-]

Road pricing. Pay per mile.

[@paulyflyer8154]

You really haven't been paying attention have you.

[@ricardo1e93]

Uk almost feels like china in someway. The thirst of control via cameras in insane.

[@bw1376]

It totally does when Khan is being chauffeur-driven around London in a £400k armoured Range Rover.

[@mwd331]

@@bw1376name a single senior politician that doesn’t?

[@bw1376]

@@mwd331 I remember a time when it was safe enough for Boris to cycle around London. Khan has now really has made himself an ememy of the working people that Labour are supposedly meant to represent.

[@AMPProf]

Just say I love the king the ministry is correct. And all will be forgiven! ...... wtfahhhhhh

[@1954Antony]

It won't be a social points system, it will be called Carbon Credits, but it will achieve the same objective - control.

[@weepz]

ULEZ does not stop old polluting cars driving through London, if this was really about air pollution they would be banned outright, no questions asked.

[@joeysplats3209]

If they were really serious they'd ban all the bloviating politicians and worthless bureaucrats. Instead they attack the poor and middle-class, making them yet more dependent on worthless, bloviating puddles of loose dookie.

[@Dcc-yk2lo]

Whats it about then mate?

[@weepz]

@@Dcc-yk2lo how to extract the most amount of money fron hard working people, without directly telling them, we as a government need as much money as possible so you are unable to live your life's comfortably.

[@Moscow_Will_Burn]

But then how would the rich Tory voters be able to drive around their expensive cars? Just look at Nick living in his leafy suburb surrounded by greenery. If he had to live in some sh!thole flat in the center of London he'd be too poor to stand around on the streets all day complaining about a car he cannot afford to own.

[@loonaticsrunningtheassylum]

They'd also switch off every office as they pollute far more than cars.. but they're not owned by the peasants

[@richbrice3299]

You can tell this guy works for the Guardian. He is so patronising! Air quality has improved in London as vehicles have become cleaner. Scrapping a million MOtable cars is not environmentally sound. I'm guessing you're not affected by this. Wake up Mr Guardian.

[@A190xx]

I suspect this is the furthest he has been from central London and he is probably upset that the comments do not support his narrative.

[@Super-id7bq]

There's nothing patronising about debating an issue with a delusional muppet who can't grasp the very simple concept that Co2 trapped in ice gets released by the man made warming of the planet through pollutants and greenhouse gasses. Took the dude all of 2 minutes to start going on about fifteen minute cities. If you don't want to be talked to like you're an idiot, grow up and stop being an idiot.

[@seanhubbard6033]

What's your science qualification?

[@BrockSamson-i1i]

@@A190xx i suspect you were raised by apes, but that doesn't make it true ..

[@seanhubbard6033]

@@Clembo Appeal to you having the education to understand the arguments being made, you mean.

[@rickdecko1096]

Why are the rich kids who run the guardian so hateful of the working class. The guardian is a example of every thing wrong today.

[@robertcoombes5444]

They just hate people who have to work for a living that's the guardian

[@janwhite6038]

It's because they are isolated, unaware and unable to think critically

[@sbor2020]

The Guardian has been publishing for 203 years, so you shouldn't be short of several examples of how it is *_hateful of the working class_* . So go on examples ...

[@Grievance_Studies_Affair_2018]

Also, concerned about nitrogen oxides, when it was the almighty government years ago who told people to buy diesel instead of petrol. Every sane person already knew back then that diesels were much dirtier because of their high NOx emissions. But "intelligent" government did only care about CO2. Diesels produce less CO2, so hey, tell everyone to buy diesel! Toxic NOx don't matter. Well.. didn't matter until now.

[@rickdecko1096]

Your a non playing character.

[@rjprivate]

We need David Attenborough to narrate the dinosaur humping 😂

[@joebloggs9719]

As always the ivory tower guardian journalists are totally out of touch with the normal working public

[@johnshaw4140]

The ULEZ zone completely ignores the environmental impact of huge production of the number of new vehicles needed to replace those that already exist , completely insane

[@micksroversmg558]

But big business makes more money when small businesses goes bust and poor people have less money more debt and less jobs! You will own nothing be happy in ya 15 min zone eat zee bugs not meat world becoming a asylum as loons run it for far too long!

[@crackthefoundation_]

Also this.

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

You are missing the point. Unless those new vehicles are manufactured INSIDE LONDON and polluting LONDONs air, then they are irrelevant. But that's also beside the point, because if you believe that anybody anywhere is making one single extra car just for ULEZ London, then you have reached a spectacular level of delusion.

[@nchlspro]

How is that irrelevant? Because it's poor people in another part of the world that has to mine all the toxic materials to produce batteries? Do you know how much of the UKs electric generation uses fossil fuels? This hits the poorest everywhere.

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

About half of the power in generated from fossil fuels and only 3% from coal. 20 years go it was about 95% fossil fuels and 40% coal. Which shows which direction we are moving in. And yes your point is irrelevant, because Those materials are going to get mined anyway as part of the direction humanity is moving in. NOT because of ULEZ. NOWHERE. NOT ONE SINGLE PLACE ON THE ENTIRE PLANET is stepping up production because of ULEZ. It is happening regardless of ULEZ. But thank you. Your sheer ignorance has opened my eyes to the low level of intelligence of those protesting against ULEZ.@@nchlspro

[@trevorbryan9268]

Ulez is making mega money. People struggling are having debt collectors coming to their place. Shoplifting and crime is going up wonder why.

[@jebbo-c1l]

because of 13 years of conservative government leaving our productivity, wages, and public services in the dump

[@mildlydispleased3221]

Good, the Tories have underfunded London for too long, all of the ULEZ money is to be reinvested in TfL. If you're selfish enough to drive a car like that, you deserve to pay the fine.

[@88ST3V307]

​@ebbeb9827 the conservatives in power at the moment are doing everything from a Left Wing standpoint

[@maverick5039]

@@jebbo-c1lyou forgot the big elephant staring these people in the faces ie BREXIT!!!

[@danielgoring1328]

@@maverick5039 The problem is Sadiq Khan. He forced through the ULEZ expansion as a tax on the poor using 'save the climate' as an excuse for it. Nothing to do with Tory's or Brexit.

[@ASBO_LUTELY]

ULEZ scam is obvious

[@EliteCombatProductions]

so was the vaccine one but alot of people still done it.

[@cloudbasenirvana]

@@EliteCombatProductions - On UK Govt website they called the devils spikes - "An Experimental Clinical Trial" right through the $cam until the UN/WHO change the definition of a vachz which was after most had been spiked then the UK Govt replaced all the "An Experimental Clinical Trial" quotes with vachz

[@seanhubbard6033]

I see you're also a fan of people being killed by vehicles. Cant take you seriously.

[@seanhubbard6033]

​@@EliteCombatProductionssure it was you tit

[@JCTBomb]

They are going to tax you for breathing one day, and call it “unregistered air consumption” Keep up the good work friends!

[@petermiller1041]

I’m sure Ben Elton wrote a play about that in the 90’s - called Breath if I remember rightly

[@vindowmaker5819]

Um everyone in the world is already paying taxes to breathe/live

[@I_hunt_lolis]

"Your shitty 2.0 diesel pollutes too much" meanwhile celebrities are taking with private jets flights instead of driving for 20 minutes with their cars

[@partymanau]

Greta will fly over in her 4 engine jet and tell u not to pollute.

[@stepchicken3238]

A Guardian 'reporter', not biased was he?

[@pauldavies6037]

Oh not much LOL

[@cabbage681]

and a DEI hire to boot.

[@Grievance_Studies_Affair_2018]

He's boosting Guardian's ESG score 😂

[@mariemccann5895]

A ripple will get exemptions from just about every motoring charge there is, so what is his interest anyway?

[@davidgardiner4720]

Ooh, someone doesn't agree with my misinformed and paranoid nonsense so they must be biased!

[@FreFa-ch]

The problem is the governement allowing the sale of certain vehicles and after a few years banning them from the roads due to their harmful emissions. If those cars were not compliant with emission laws, they shouldn't have been sold in the first place. If they were compliant, they should be allowed on the road until the end of their life cycle.

[@evanfinch4987]

this guys got it all figured out! considered all possible cause and effect and nailed er down with such confidence

[@andysedgley]

And think of the waste and emissions involved in dumping serviceable vehicles and replacing them with new. It's scandalous.

[@patrickbass9957]

I take it that EURO 6 for diesels is the main problem

[@SheilaTitchener]

the government should buy them back!

[@seanhubbard6033]

It's almost like laws change over time

[@pauldurkee4764]

The Guardian really doesn't have the moral authority to comment on what ordinary people feel or do, they are not even what you would call journalists. My advice to the people of London, don't be pushed around by anyone.👍

[@rjflores438]

The Muswell Hill Mung Bean munching Middle Class Mafia doesnt care about normal people!

[@GeraldDove-i1z]

A more positive approach would be to plant the right type of trees and foliage which cleans the air. Many people would pay a one off contribution for this. The guardian journalist is focussing on the cars and overlooking the delivery fleets which pay £100.00 per day, which then gets passed on to the consumer. Hence paying more for less in the shops. The whole ULEZ, 20mph limit, LTN policies were not thought through by the think as far as their nose Labour politicians. Labour = high taxes

[@pauldurkee4764]

@@GeraldDove-i1z If you are able to identify lichens, you will find them growing all over city trees. Why lichens, they are an indicator of the air quality, where I live in a city, the trees are full of them.

[@cloudbasenirvana]

@@GeraldDove-i1z All part of Agenda21 - this was all planned a very long time ago

[@Monkey_slapping_keys]

The piece is fine and the journalist did a fair job, get over it.

[@nydabeats]

The last quote said "95% of all vehicles seen driving across London on an average day now meet the ulez clean air standards". Then why is it still necessary?

[@oo0Spyder0oo]

The mayor, the pm and anyone given the job of running a town or country is meant to represent the people, not run along with their own schemes against their wishes.

[@lemdixon01]

reducing airpollution is the cover story to stop private car ownership. As the world economic Forum says ''you will own nothing and be happy''.

[@Unclenedi]

Too accurate ☝🏻

[@lemdixon01]

@@ninja-theory because its a bit like communism and the Communist leaders lived in luxury at the expense of the people suffering.

[@fredgarvinMP]

​@@ninja-theoryThey've got plenty of ways to make money.

[@tylerdodmusic423]

Then explain the scientific evidence that high air pollution in cities is responsible for 43 percent of lung cancer cases? I think you are just pedalling a conspiracy backed up by no real evidence.

[@QiuEnnan]

When did the WEF ever say that. And how does this stop private car ownership if 95 per cent of motor vehicles are compliant.

[@yeetyeet7070]

London has more cameras than Beijing.

[@jjr1728]

And yet ethnics are exponentially stsbbing each other over postcode wars.

[@lenmarfox2947]

That's correct we're the most watched country in the Western World.

[@C-R-l-M-S-O-N]

...and more crime!

[@yeetyeet7070]

@@C-R-l-M-S-O-N especially white collar lol

[@liamharis9246]

This isn’t about air pollution it’s about making money if it was about air pollution they would ban it END OF imagine if everyone paid £12.50 problem of air pollution would still not be solved but financially they have gained

[@seanhubbard6033]

If they banned it entirely you already quite insane ULEZ protestors would go absolutely nuts.

[@whocares264]

If everyone had an ev there would not be a problem.

[@bulletmog]

@@whocares264 right- are you going to start giving out free EVs?

[@jstring]

Guardian reporter voted for ULEZ lol. You can tell he hated every minute of this assignment

[@MF22525]

It’s really comforting to see that so many people are willing to push back against tyranny. If we let this kind of thing slide, where would we be in 50 years? A century? They’d probably be taxing us for the air we breathe.

[@dadsquatch79]

It's amazing how restrictive the UK is.

[@frannyp46]

@dadssquatch. We are very law abiding, queue forming, well mannered country and the system knows this. We should learn more from our French counterparts only 20 miles away across the channel.

[@imstupidbut]

@@frannyp46bruh uk people stab each other

[@RealFemale69]

Pollution laws are the opposite of restrictive, your pollution causes disability and death, which is far more restrictive than blocking pollution

[@mactep1]

fr

[@englishdavemk1]

this guy is such a wipe...but he works for the guardian so im not suprised

[@salkoharper2908]

Don't think he's ever had to drive a delivery van/lorry full of medicine, food, clothes or building materials before. These people live in such a bubble, I think they truly believe every 'White Van Man' could do all his deliveries on a Lime Bike or some other dippy nonsense. They live in La La Land.

[@maxmaritime1206]

I see comments are being pre-moderated...whats the matter Guardian...afraid of real debate?

[@jakereevesward4562]

You seriously can't be that dim-witted if you think it's the Guardian, and not - I dunno - KZbin.

[@maxmaritime1206]

@@jakereevesward4562 It is the Guardian's YT channel, they have the option of pre-modding comments before publication or did you not know that? BTW, why the personal insult...? Always seems to be an insult and never the issue with many on the hard left.

[@stephnewman1357]

Yeah because let's not forget it's the "wokes" who silence everyone but not the likes of David Icke, UK Column, GB News and Farage though eh!!! Remember to keep living in the matrix under the chemtrail sky whilst zapped by 5g and using technology 😂

[@jakereevesward4562]

@@maxmaritime1206 You love straw clutching don't you, hard left lol - and no it's more likely youtube moderating it, as they have a tendency of doing that. If it was the comment section on the guardian website then fair enough.

[@shia_labeouf]

If you expect "real debate" in a KZbin comment section you are gonna be sorely disappointed.

[@gullfaks]

It’s good to see the people take action…

[@JackKahunaLaguna7]

Love when a reporter is at odds when their job is to tell a story. Reporters opinions don’t matter, just tell the story and quit with the agenda.

[@musicbruv]

Buy a compliant car, in a few years the goal post will be moved and that car will no longer be compliant.

[@NUFCOfficial]

It's funny that the so-called Liberals are happy for there to be cameras everywhere checking if your car complies with something because it's in the name of the environment. If it was a different excuse or a party they didn't like doing this they would shout tyranny and fascism.

[@TheotherTempestfox]

Most people can't just buy a new car on a whim anyway.

[@stephenporter6005]

Musicbruv like when they told everyone to buy a diesel car

[@brendanroberts4866]

the nthe insurers triple insurance too - its why i left UK to live in 3rd world - far better off and decent weather too

[@MilesBellas]

NOBODY VOTED FOR SUNAK AS PM NOBODY

[@sassythesasquatch4425]

U sound like a moron. You dont vote for any prime minister, they get voted by the party and the party will appoint a representative. Lol. You vote for the party which votes for the pm.

[@Kiev-in-3-days]

You voted for Brexit, you got it. You are on your own now.

[@jhfdhgvnbjm75]

Though I agree with the sentiment, nobody actually votes for the PM at all, its a technicality but an important one.

[@MilesBellas]

@@jhfdhgvnbjm75 People vote for the leader not the party. Compare Starmer to Corbyn.

[@Rosskles]

​@@jhfdhgvnbjm75 It's a pedantic one.

[@Pitstershedder7517]

We the most watched country in the world begin controlled

[@jackjones544]

Cashless slavery, cameras, apps, cashless payment systems. ABUSE OF POWER. Fight Back.

[@count69]

What a surprise the Guardian are beating the WEF drum of 'climate change'

[@simoncollins6529]

God bless the BladeRunners

[@jackster285]

Ultra low emission zones today, no emission zones tomorrow. That's where this is going. It's just setting the stage for when petrol, diesel and even hybrid vehicles are banned from the roads.

[@aspanon1560]

sounds great!

[@treeaboo]

I mean yes, that would be the end goal eventually and that is the correct move (likely with exceptions for off-road vehicles). How you go about implementing that is where the issues have arisen.

[@johnshaw4140]

@@aspanon1560 sounds great if you happen to have enough money to buy an electric car and charge it at home , doesn't sound so great if you can only afford a 1500 pound car and live in a tower block

[@aspanon1560]

can get quite a few bicycles for 1500 quid@@johnshaw4140

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

Yes and? You talk as if this is some secret conspiracy. It isn't secret. The deadline for ZERO Internal combustion cars sales has already been set.

[@cabbage681]

Go blade runners, thank you for all the hard work👍

[@billienomates1606]

I used to travel from the M25 to central london on night shift for a number of year's to work, but if ulez had been operating then I would not have been able to afford the charges and would have had to look elsewhere. But where would I have looked, the simple answer is no where because I would still have to pay the outer london ulez charge of £12.50 everyday and for what work I could get it would not have been worth working. Something needs to change with the political elite and their tyrannical ways.

[@lordcharfield]

Guardian. We all know how it works. We’ve seen the script many times……”we have no plans” becomes actuality in increments. Your patronising, bourgeois reporter is obviously defending the establishment, as the Guardian generally does these days!

[@jhfdhgvnbjm75]

5:02 and it's not like a politician has ever lied, have they? 10:30 nice underhand way to discredit and cast doubt, that was really well edited. 10/10

[@freedomcontrolled6190]

Blade runners are the modern day Robin hoods of England 👍👌

[@hattmarvey1989]

Conspiracy Theory = something which will soon become an accepted fact

[@Ed.E]

been saying for 40 years climate change is a myth but look at our weather

[@hotelmario510]

That's not the generally accepted definition of a conspiracy theory

[@e33d90]

@@hotelmario510 he didnt say it was the definition

[@NiskaMagnusson]

naturally the guardian has to make everyone out to be nutters for not wanting to be criminalized for MOVING

[@sunraiii]

According to WTW, about 40% of all people in the UK already live paycheck to paycheck. It's safe to assume that many of these households own older, less environmentally friendly, but cheaper vehicles. So why tax the poor and risk higher rates of homelessness?

[@nicholaspostlethwaite9554]

Anyone that can afford to buy, tax, fuel, insure, a car is rich. The poor do not move about so wantonly as they use public transport.

[@andrewbravery5114]

I'm up for the dinosaur costume part!

[@MadBiker-vj5qj]

10:30 measuring particulate pollution from inside a sealed vehicle with filtered ventilation!?!?!? The results will be meaningless.

[@mcfrosty8739]

jesus wept.. if you think a flimsy bit of paper (which is what a cabin or intake filter is) will make any difference to the air quality inside then god help you. Why do you think when you get behind an old, smoky car you can smell it?.....

[@Cornz38]

No, you cant because most modern cars have HEPA filters. The only thing your comment shows is that either A: you own a 20 year old vehicle or B: you've never had it changed.@@mcfrosty8739

[@Google_Does_Evil_Now]

​@@mcfrosty8739be honest, how often are you behind an old smokey vehicle that you can actually smell? I would say it's very rare these days compared to 30 odd years ago when it was common. Why isn't the MOT used to measure emissions and the vehicles rated on that?

[@mcfrosty8739]

@@Google_Does_Evil_Now I'm sat here trying to understand why you've taken a snippet of my comment where I was trying to put something in to context in to some blown up thing haha yes it is rare but also does happen every so often and also they do test emissions but MOT's are once every year.. A lot of things can happen within that time span.. And cars aren't measured equally, a G reg Escort would never pass a Euro 6 level test which is what a brand new car would be tested to. Please, use brain

[@PURENT]

​@@mcfrosty8739 Nah that comment is right, air filters are primarily designed to stop particulates. And that tool is designed to measure particles. So the guy in the video has measured filtered air instead of the raw outside air.

[@kieranb7047]

People always say real poor people can't afford to drive so ulez doesn't affect them. But those people are thick. Things like ulez keep poor people poor. Constant taxing and fees demotivate people from bothering to work hard because the harder you work to better yourself, the more punished you feel. Imagine grafting to find a job and then realising in order to maintain that job you need to buy a car that's going to take a quarter of your wage to maintain and run, then you lose your benefits so have to start paying your council tax and rent out of those wages. By the end of each month, you are tired, stressed, have no time for yourself and are absolutely skint. Where is the incentive for people to work hard when they can sit at home with less stress and have their bills paid through benefits. The system is a joke and it's designed to keep people in their place and stop us from ever achieving financial freedom. People like khan have the personalities of domestic abusers. They know they are not fit to be leaders and don't have the ability to inspire others or lead by example so they maintain control through lying, gaslighting and emotionally draining people so they don't have the energy to fight back. A lot of successful people have the same narcissistic mindset and that's why they achieve positions of power. Defiance is the only way to stop people like khan. Blade runners are humiliating him and making people see how weak he really is and how the people have the real power to decide how we live. We need more Roobin Hoods in the world.

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

And yet those same people, like you. Are happy to whine about the ones that DID work harder, that DID better themselves. Living proof that what you claim is just BS.

[@kieranb7047]

@@Kizron_Kizronson were exactly have a moaned about people who work hard?

[@lapinlogic6267]

Ice ages and global tropical climates have happened BEFORE man even learned of Fire. Even if man COULD do anything about "the environment" it would be less than a you spitting in the ocean, man can't stand on the beach and demand the sea turn back.

[@Mind_Funeral]

If 95% of all vehicles in London are ULEZ compliant, then why the fuck is the government still paying to install ULEZ cameras over and over again?

[@arkoudakafe]

Bring all the cameras down👏👏👏

[@abc33944]

Gov just needs leave people alone ... thats what this is all about

[@stephnewman1357]

Go live in the woods or join a religious cult where they do live off grid out of the matrix...

[@Kizron_Kizronson]

Indeed. Those schools, roads, hospitals etc. forced upon us by those EVIL government needs to stop. Lets go back to living like animals with each person beholden to themselves and in constant fear of attack. Look to the failed states of the world. If you truly believe that is a better lifestyle then GO. Nothing to stop you joining those Utopias of freedom.

[@mplewp]

Lowering speeds also increases pollution lol

[@Grievance_Studies_Affair_2018]

As well as having fat heavy passengers.

[@SheilaTitchener]

they're too thick to know that!

[@seanhubbard6033]

No it doesn't.

[@janwhite6038]

Surprisingly few snowdrops on the lane in Wales that looked white, as if with a snowfall, last year. I'm wondering if it's the 20mph policy that's reduced these flowers.

[@clivebrackstone1896]

Sean yes it does dumb ass for cryn out loud 😂😂😂

[@Inzone100]

Independent and paid by the Guardian. Yet they are the ambassadors of truth

[@Alacrity23688]

ULEZ has been Khans declared policy since 2017 yet they reelected him in 2021, so Londoners only have themselves to blame

[@toonmag50]

Khan made it clear ,two months before re election in 2021 that " I have no intention of expanding the ULEZ zone" (,it already just extended the ULEZ to the north and south ring roads) Documented and recorded. It changed its mind two months after reelection. You types know this ,but you pepper lies , following your liar in chief.

[@JonM-ts7os]

Guardians scummy reporting tactics

[@johnathandaviddunster38]

When i see king Charles, the crime minister and the houses of conmens using buses on a daily basis i will as well or if buses and the tube cost 25 pence a trip ...

[@silverglen5632]

We get more pollution from car tyres than what you get from the modern combustion engine car engines. Please can someone take a note of this.

[@andysedgley]

Source?

[@Zoco101]

Hypocritically, London allows big black diesel cabs to contine functioning with no charge. They may continue until they are 12 years old. So ditch your efficient petrol car that doesn't quite pass the requirement, and when you are desperate to get somewhere, ride in an old diesel cab instead. This is the message.

[@plasticwrapcharlie]

This issue doesn't affect me directly, I am not English nor do I live there, but it really honestly gets tiresome when the solution to public health problems and the like is to tax the average person and heap financial disincentives on average people instead of asking the corporate giants to shoulder the responsibility. Like tobacco and sugar taxes, it has (partially) achieved the desired effect only while dealing heavy financial injuries to the addicted, i.e. people who cannot make the choice to change or have extreme difficulty in doing so. Instead of barring the import of large German and American petrol-fueled vehicles or assigning large penalties to importers and dealers who traffick in such vehicles, instead of heaping financial disincentives on oil companies, the governors know that those powerful entities will engage in a drawn-out, expensive struggle against those measures which will also be hidden in large part from the media. Alternatively, they could tax the ever-living piss out of average citizens knowing they haven't got the means, time, or organization to resist through official channels, meaning they have to engage in extralegal resistance, and we have to be tough on crime, don't we? Today they're cutting down cameras, tomorrow they'll be setting fire to the houses of Parliament, right? And another thing, I'm as disgusted by climate change/global warming deniers as most Guardian readers, but you have to admit Nick's got a point there. The guys up top, from the MPs to BP to the BBC, have been knee deep in so much shady shit so many times that skepticism is the intelligent approach. The public's trust in authority figures is eroded, and reasonably so. They don't need to have a formal conspiracy, they don't need a villain's board meeting like in some comic book. They have all gone to school together, learning the same shit from the same people for hundreds of years or longer, and so they all have the same goals and principles, to consolidate wealth and have an exclusive club AND YOU AIN'T IN IT, and if it all possible they're gonna find a way to make the little guy either build it or clean it or pay for it. Anyone who blindly trusts authority figures is either stupid, naïve, or is burying their head in the sand because the truth is just too much to bear.

[@garry226]

Well said.

[@YouTubeisOligarchy]

We all know who the Guardian guards, and it ain't the little guy! 🎶 "Big Brother getting stomped in Airstrip 1!"🎶

[@whocares264]

I live in London, thanks to ulez the air me and my children breathe is cleaner.😮

[@jamesmasonaltair]

As a staunch American libertarian, I appreciate these bladerunner Brits.

[@sedwarg]

As a staunch libertarian, you should surely know that your rights end where they cause harm to others. You're not a libertarian if you don't believe that, you're an anarchist.

[@BrockSamson-i1i]

@@sedwarg very nice retort :)

[@Banor]

Nothing baffles me more than the absolute disdain the ruling class has for the working class in the UK.

[@5N3K93]

“What environmental crisis?” Fr. Punishing the people for minuscule pollution is ridiculous esp when countries like China aren’t even trying.

[@Hamsterdam91]

pls all stop this "but China!" nonsense. China is planting more trees than any other country. In fact they are the reason the amount of trees on earth is keeping a level/ minimal rising despite others like Brazil chopping the rain forests. Also you are causing a multiple of what emmisions the average Chinese is emmiting. The real problem is industry and big companies. They make you believe you are the problem and solution. Drive less in your car, pay extra to set of CO2 when buying plane tickets. While the real and biggest culprits make big cash

[@mondem8756]

Agenda 2030, Agenda 2050

[@cloudbasenirvana]

Don't forget *_Agenda 2063_* - the rewilding of Africa, 54 african countries merged into a single sovereignless state by 2063. The population to mobilsed into resettlent zones. The UN allocated resettlement zones being UK. EU, USA. Africa to be a rather large safari park for the C4B4L and it's big game hunters, like old king $au$ag£ f!ng£r$.

[@seanhubbard6033]

Agenda grow a brain cell?

[@mondem8756]

@@seanhubbard6033 denial denial... It is easier to believe a lie that one has heard a thousand times than to believe a fact that one has never heard before. Robert Lynd

[@Cartoonman154]

@@seanhubbard6033 Anymore booting licking you might get cherry blossom poisoning.

[@seanhubbard6033]

@@mondem8756 It's easier to believe a conspiracy theory than actually undertake the effort to truly understand things going on. - Me.

[@jhfdhgvnbjm75]

These are the new turnpikes, not that the guardian would remember anything about those.

[@pauldurkee4764]

There was a rebellion in Wales against unjust tolls for travelling the highway, the Rebecca Riots in the 1840s. Men dressed as women smashed and burnt toll booths.

[@colinmartin2921]

The problem with getting rid of Khan is the population density in Central London, which trumps the lower density outer area, where nobody votes for him. Why was the Mayor given jurisdiction over the whole of the M25 area? You cannot blame people for protesting.

[@cloudbasenirvana]

UN/WEF - Khan is nothing but a (placed not voted in) F!$T PUPP£T for the C4B4L.

[@thesmalestwhale]

Guardian is not qualified to report on this

[@rennerbike5022]

finally people waking up and taking action👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@justinrice8509]

This reporter, is a pretty naive chap!

[@stevewiles7132]

How are the new all electric buses going? keeping passengers warm are they?

[@jec_ecart]

No. Ulez itself is the Conspiracy.

[@tommyze]

These systems are ridiculous. In Barcelona exists the same scheme "ZBE" . It strikes me as a ridiculous scheme. Rather than target the vehicles belonging to people who, for one reason or another, perhaps can't afford an upgrade to a new car. Why not target those driving around in ridiculously large 4x4s by themselves; this is surely far more detrimental to the environment. Is it not also more environmentally frinedly to maintain an old car rather than just churn new cars off the production line? Why not charge everyone a smaller standard fee- 1 Pound per day? This would surely be fairer than just charging one group of people an extornionate amount of money

[@zoidberg444]

The Guardian are scared because they have no power over the narrative any more. 😂

[@samcad-ho3ze]

It’s a total joke of a newspaper now. The fact it employs Owen Jones is all you need to know.

[@frdsg8350]

their ilk run the civil service and the courts.

[@ronnieg6358]

A greater number of drivers are NOT changing to electric vehicles. The whole idea is going belly up !

[@bw1376]

We're currently seeing a massive decline in new sales, used prices and overall interest in them here in the UK.

[@trainman86trainstramsandmore]

because those drivers that didn't aren't thick as f*** 1. Electric cars are way too expensive to buy 2. they have a much lower lifespan than a petrol or dieel because they use BATTERIES 3. they are very bad for the planet to manufacture (mining the batteries, shipping etc) 4. because of their short lifepsan, they will get scrapped quicker and most parts have to go to landfill because they are not reusable 5. they can be written off MUCH easier

[@sedwarg]

Who wants electric vehicles? Car manufacturers and car brains. We need fewer cars on the road, not EVs.

[@w3w3w3]

on your bike then mate...@@sedwarg

[@sedwarg]

Yes that's rather the point isn't it. And I will enjoy not being charged £12, not getting to work with a raging temper, not sitting in traffic, not ruining the city for others. Glad you get it.@@w3w3w3

[@jonthecont]

As a firefighter in Devon, I'm disgusted the fire service are going out to remove a bin from one! To be sent 9 hours after an old lady had been pushed to the ground in her home and left in a pile of piss and blood while we slept on station infuriates me that another service will agree to go to that!

[@SingaporeUntold]

Love the spirit of the British people

[@daveisbrill]

Guardian: pro government authoritarianism, and anti regular working people who've had enough of said authoritarianism.

[@gfour21]

I cannot understand how these media continue insulting people’s intelligence like this. I guess they never read the comment section of their videos. No one in the world believes their BS anymore.

[@seeyouintheeighties]

usual guardian contempt for the working class

[@totallypixelated]

Plenty of working class people in London that don't follow narratives like the loonies in the video. The new breed of populist right wingers often make the mistake of thinking they can speak for all working class people. They don't.

[@Coldfin9er]

Thought KZbin content makers had to declare sponsored content? This rather blinkered reporter is likely sponsored by TFL or Khan.

[@BrainfromSpain]

If they were worried about NOX emissions take a look at Copenhagen buses! a member of London assembly got it right when he said "It's like banning smoking in a pub unless you buy your cigarettes from me!"

[@RealFemale69]

What about busses? Sure 1 bus causes more pollution than a car, but without that bus 50 people would be driving cars which causes far more pollution

[@WebExtension1]

I absolutely agree that its bad, but I don't like when people bring classism into it. I have a really cheap car and its ULEZ compliant. Realistically, there are few people who can't get a ULEZ compliant vehicle, and if you can't, get the bus, honestly as someone who used to, its not that bad.

[@andrew-o5i]

its ok to pollute as long as you can pay ? who made that stupid rule up ?

[@jameswade3214]

The next Mayor needs to be English not of foreign decent . No understanding of English culture.

[@fpvDRE]

what like boris and the rest of the ramble lol 🤣🤣u can keep the eton brigade thanks 👍👍

[@harenterberge2632]

It is quite interesting how the Netherlands has a completely different approach to the same problem. UK: heavy handed enforcement with privacy invading cameras . Netherlands,: making the infrastructure such that long distance traffic cannot go through residential city quarters, but is guided around them, providing cycling infrastructure and good public transport

[@JoeBlowUK]

If they were REALLY worried about air quality, why aren't they tackling the worst place... in the tube stations!

[@garry226]

Money!! Shareholders wouldn’t approve!!!

[@johnkeen4271]

Its just a tax,, nothing else, there is climate change but nothing new been happening for millions of years, full support for the bladerunners,

[@HaggisMuncher-69-420]

These @"ournalists" are really wondering why they're all losing their jobs. Not one of us trust you. If I were you, I'd learn to code.

[@PerilousPaddy]

In a MOT the output of a passing car is 0.3 and after fitting s new catalytic converter my car puts out 0.02 which should exempt me from the zone charge however my car is not classed as classic despite being built over 30 years ago! I can't afford to change it even with the scrappage scheme.

[@eiliannoyes5212]

Very bad doc, narrow angled. The meter inside the car is the cherry.

[@akatheking82]

more dangerous particles in the underground...

[@garry226]

There’s no warning signs on any tube station , in 30 different languages to let the people of the world know that you are entering a highly populated area, that kids ride use to ride to school every day, no mention of that , The share holders wouldn’t Approve of such action!!! Money Greed corruption and lies.

[@sarutochigcp937]

So when it has to do with people wanting to drive old polluters, vandalism is applauded, but any other protest that approaches disruption is totally unacceptable of course.

[@Qwiggsy]

Does anyone here consider the Guardian to be actual Journalists? No? Me neither.