Minister Brands 4x4 Drivers 'Irresponsible'

[Dunno]

Check out this artical and make sure you vote!!

At the moment there is only 52 votes in it and we are losing!

As they stand at the moment
votes
Yes 953 51%
No 901 49%
Total Votes: 1854

Paul

[BUSHWHACKER]

Errr, dude.???????? Can't see it!

[andrewlee31]

its on aol. so only aol members can vote

[Dunno]

Errr, dude.???????? Can't see it!

Opps sorry I didnt realise you could not see it if not on Aol!!

Any way this is what it says

Drivers of gas-guzzling 4x4 cars have been accused of "crass irresponsibility" by a government minister with a responsibility for cutting Britain's carbon emissions.

Energy minister Malcolm Wicks indicated that the Government was considering punitive measures to persuade motorists to opt for less environmentally-damaging vehicles.

And he suggested that the authorities would like to see a situation where manufacturers were regarded as "irresponsible" for even producing cars which emitted high levels of greenhouse gases.


A record 187,000 4x4s were sold in the UK last year, up from 80,000 a decade ago.

But many of the so-called "Chelsea tractors" are used in the cities where there is no call for their off-road capacities.

Mr Wicks told The Times: "There is crass irresponsibility in some of the larger monstrosities people drive around suburbia and in London.


"We have to move against this kind of thing."

According to The Times, the Government is considering an increase to £200 in the price of a tax disc for high-emission cars which produce more than 250g of carbon dioxide per kilometre - compared with 104g for Mr Wicks' own Toyota Prius.

The minister also suggested that there should be incentives for manufacturers to switch to "greener" technology, like the Prius's hybrid system which combines a petrol-driven engine with an electric motor.

He said he was "disappointed" that British and European manufacturers had not followed the lead of the Japanese.

"Given the very demanding CO2 cuts we must make, we are going to need more than just a series of marginal changes. We are going to need a step-change," he said.

"We will have to ask, 'Is it environmentally responsible to be producing cars which are a serious part of the problem?'

"There will come a time when it will be irresponsible for those to be on sale."

Transport minister Stephen Ladyman told the paper that moves were being considered to encourage the use of less polluting fuels.

Suppliers are already being asked to produce five per cent of transport fuel from renewable sources like crops by 2010, and Dr Ladyman said the target would have to be increased after that date.

"Somewhere down the supply chain, it will have to be more expensive to supply fuels which are high in CO2," he said.

"The thrust of any policy post-2010 has to be to make people make greener choices."

Britain has a target of cutting CO2 emissions by 60 per cent by 2050.

[andrewlee31]

thats in the post.... wonder if he realises we all rn on bio-fuel???

[BUSHWHACKER]

But many of the so-called "Chelsea tractors" are used in the cities where there is no call for their off-road capacities.



Thats the same as saying, many of the so-called MPs are salaried in the cities where there is no call for their pen-pushing capacities.....Isn't it?

[Bogus]

Totally agree with them, its high time the government got more involved in deciding what a citizen can and cant have. and while they are at it they really ought to look at housing, theres far too many people living in houses bigger than they need. and theres even people with more than one, one in their home town, one in London to be near parliament, maybe a big grace and favour freebie in the country, All houses should be the same, uniform boxes with amount of rooms depending on amount of occupants and only one allowed.

Im sick to the back teeth of the lot of them and their vote catching antics. They want to drag everyone down, they want to turn this country into some kind of ant colony. I,ll bet anyone could sit and within 30 mins think up one hundred things that are more irresponsible and more harmful than owning a "big car" and I absolutely detest the thought that there are elected officials who think that the fact that I might go to Tescos in a SURF should be "punished" in some way. They might as well make it another fixed penalty offence. Before you know it owning anything bigger than a SMART will need a licence similar to what is needed for shotguns.

And I havent even begun to RANT yet, but I,ll let it continue in my head as tired of typing

Bogus

[TonyN]

Can't type a sensible reply ATM, the keyboard will probably end up out the window.

this B/S after the all veg oil B/S is just STUPID!!!!!

[Bludger]

Can't type a sensible reply ATM, the keyboard will probably end up out the window.

this B/S after the all veg oil B/S is just STUPID!!!!!

How did I know the MP drives a Prius?!

If the Govt increase the Car Tax for higher emissions cars, what do you think they will do when all the Bio/Vege users show them data proving that Vege has lower emissions than normal Diesel cars?

I know what they will do. They will bury it all in red tape just like they have done with the 27p & 47p tax debate.

Bo11ox to this, I'm going back to Oz !!

(no tax on Biofuels over there) just to make you all that much more depressed!

[parn]

How did I know the MP drives a Prius?!

wonder what else he drives and if he actually drives it or whether it sits on his amply sized drive as a showpiece while his jaguar xj12 sits snugly in the garage

[laser_jock@work]

Yes- reading between the lines he's taking a (badly aimed) pop at 4x4's but it will encompass all vehicles that have more power than a moped.

So they're trying to pass it off as a move against urban 4x4's (which anyone knows would be un-enforceable) to generate more revenue from all motorists. W*nkers.

[fergus]

i drive my SURF because I work hard all week and do not spend my money on any other vice (eg smooking) and only have the occasional pint. Its a luxery I choose to have. The reality is i have to agree with the minister in that factually most 4X4s are used for the school run and many never ever go into 4x4 mode as they are used to ferry the kids to school. Mostly we dont need to have big 3.0ltr engines hauling tones of motor around occupied by one person most of the time. I know some of you do use them for work and can justify having them. So in a nut shell the minister is right but..... there are other more pressing issues to be addressed first and emmissions can be cut in easier ways than denying us a choice of what we drive. For me its not a 'green' decision interms of the envoirmental impact but a green one in terms of how long I can afford to run it as fuel once again heads towards the £1 litre mark

[kitesurf_phil]

They just had a text vote on Ian Coillins Show on Talk Sport. If you think that gas guzzling 4x4s should be road taxed at a higher rate, vote yes. If not vote no.

I didn't hear the final result but at one point it was 60% for the higher rate.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Why isn't it a vote for gas guzzling vehicles in general then??????

[Chillitt]

it seems a bit off that a government that decided its was a good idea to have a whole load of tanks and such hammering round the desert for the last 2 years thinks that WE are burning too much fuel....