ULEZ again

[jeremyp]

I'm not always a massive fan of clear air zones as such, but here is a benefit which was unexpected for me.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpw8envvv0do

ULEZ increases the probability with which children will walk or cycle to school.

[ProfessorDavey]

I'm not always a massive fan of clear air zones as such, but here is a benefit which was unexpected for me.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cpw8envvv0do

ULEZ increases the probability with which children will walk or cycle to school.

Entirely expected and very good news. Bit bemused why this seemed unexpected to you.

I imagine the reason is two-fold. Firstly (but probably less likely given that most cars are compliant) is the cost to drive a child to school. But probably more significant will be the reduction in traffic/pollution which will make walking and cycling more pleasant but also the more subtle 'nudge' effect of the policy - namely that people should be using means other than driving. I imagine that 'nudge' effect has been effectively amplified in schools who will have used the introduction of ULEZ as a trigger for walk/cycle to school campaigns.

[jeremyp]

Entirely expected and very good news. Bit bemused why this seemed unexpected to you.

Because it never occurred to me.

Why the snark?

I imagine the reason is two-fold. Firstly (but probably less likely given that most cars are compliant) is the cost to drive a child to school. But probably more significant will be the reduction in traffic/pollution which will make walking and cycling more pleasant but also the more subtle 'nudge' effect of the policy - namely that people should be using means other than driving. I imagine that 'nudge' effect has been effectively amplified in schools who will have used the introduction of ULEZ as a trigger for walk/cycle to school campaigns.

You have a three-fold reason there.

I would say, from my experience the reason number one is bigger than you might think. Although it is correct to say that most cars on the road today will be compliant, many people are under the false impression that their cars are not compliant. I regularly come across comments in Bristol based social media groups complaining about the CAZ and how vast swathes of the population can no longer drive through the city. It's not really true, especially of petrol car owners.

[ProfessorDavey]

Because it never occurred to me.

Why the snark?

No snark, just rather surprised that this was unexpected to you as the notion of getting people out of cars and onto pedals and feet was always a bit element of ULEZ.

[ProfessorDavey]

Although it is correct to say that most cars on the road today will be compliant, many people are under the false impression that their cars are not compliant. I regularly come across comments in Bristol based social media groups complaining about the CAZ and how vast swathes of the population can no longer drive through the city. It's not really true, especially of petrol car owners.

I can understand people wrongly thinking their cars are non-compliant prior to the launch of the ULEZ and indeed there was a lot of rather deliberate misinformation going around by pro-car protesters.

However once the ULEZ had been introduced and assuming you actually live in the area (which will include everyone living in London) then you'll either never use your car again (hardly credible) or rapidly realise that your car actually is compliant as you'll drive and not be charged. I get it for people living outside the area and not sure whether they can drive in or not. But that's not what we are talking about - we are discussing people in London taking their kids to school. In the vast, vast majority of cases those parents and kids will live in the ULEZ zone and be taking their kids to a school also in the ULEZ zone.

[jeremyp]

I can understand people wrongly thinking their cars are non-compliant prior to the launch of the ULEZ and indeed there was a lot of rather deliberate misinformation going around by pro-car protesters.

However once the ULEZ had been introduced and assuming you actually live in the area (which will include everyone living in London) then you'll either never use your car again (hardly credible) or rapidly realise that your car actually is compliant as you'll drive and not be charged. I get it for people living outside the area and not sure whether they can drive in or not. But that's not what we are talking about - we are discussing people in London taking their kids to school. In the vast, vast majority of cases those parents and kids will live in the ULEZ zone and be taking their kids to a school also in the ULEZ zone.

You seem to be arguing yourself out of the "it's not surprising" position.

[ProfessorDavey]

You seem to be arguing yourself out of the "it's not surprising" position.

Not at all.

Part of the whole purpose of the ULEZ was to get more people to walk and cycle rather than drive - that it has achieved that hardly seems surprising to me.

[jeremyp]

Not at all.

Part of the whole purpose of the ULEZ was to get more people to walk and cycle rather than drive - that it has achieved that hardly seems surprising to me.

But you put together a pretty good argument that people sending children to school inside ULEZ have come to terms with it and therefore wouldn't be concerned with driving their children to school.

[ProfessorDavey]

But you put together a pretty good argument that people sending children to school inside ULEZ have come to terms with it and therefore wouldn't be concerned with driving their children to school.

Nope - all I said was that people inside the ULEZ (if they owned cars) would mostly have compliant cars and would have known them to be compliant once the ULEZ was brought in. So I doubt that much of the effect was down to people no longer being able/able to afford to drive their kids to school due to a non-compliant car.

That doesn't cover the 'nudge' factor for ULEZ - a societal push that we should be driving less and getting around more by foot or on a bike.

Nor the pollution effect - fewer cars and in particular fewer of the cars spewing the most pollution makes walking or cycling more pleasant.

Nor the notion that schools used the introduction of ULEZ as a strong trigger for walk/cycle to school initiatives.

All these together meant that walking/cycling became more pleasant and more acceptable and driving more unacceptable regardless of whether the parental car was compliant (which it probably was). Hence a shift towards people walking/cycling to school.