Porsche challenges Livingstone over Congestion Charge
Porsche says £25 per day C Charge plans are disproportionate
Author: Robin Brown
Published: 19 February 2008
Porsche Cars Great Britain has announced that it will seek a judicial review in order to overturn Mayor of London Ken Livingstone´s plans to increase the London Congestion Charge from October 2008.
If Porsche were successful it would take the case to the Royal Courts of Justice to have the planned rise in the C Charge scrapped - a decision that would have ramifications around the world for other countries planning such a tax.
Porsche says that the proposed increase - from £8 per day to £25 for owners of cars that emit over 226g/km; Porsche´s entire range barring the 2.7-litre Boxster/Cayman - is disproportionate and will do little to combat carbon emissions within the zone.
The German sports car manufacturer also says that for those living within the zone the charge will rise from 80p per day to £25 per day if their car is in the highest-polluting category.
Porsche will write to Livingstone this week, giving the Mayor 14 days to respond. Porsche says if they do not receive a reply, or the Mayor refuses to reconsider his plans they will push ahead with the application for a judicial review.
Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche Cars GB said: “The proposed increase will be bad for London as a whole and will send out the signal that it is not serious about establishing itself as the best place in the world to do business.”
Transport for London (TfL) says that about 33,000 vehicles will now fall into the £25 charge range, while two- thirds of these will avoid the charge zone once the new fee is introduced.
Cars emitting under 121g/km will be exempt from the new charge.
According to TfL, there are 70,000 fewer vehicles in the charging zone every day since the fee was introduced.
Porsche posted a profit of €4,242bn (£3,205bn) for 2006-07 .
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Boo hoo. People who owns Porsche´s won´t be drive around London without paying for it. So what? These vehicles pollute our cities heavily and clog up the capital´s streets. Driving a few more city boys tearing around in their 911s and disgusting Cayennes is a great idea. Bring it on!