London’s plan to charge drivers of polluting cars sparks protests

London’s traffic cameras are under attack. Police say hundreds of license plate-reading cameras have been damaged, disconnected or stolen by opponents of an anti-pollution charge on older vehicles that came into force across the metropolis on Tuesday.

The vandalism by vigilantes calling themselves the Blade Runners shows that emotions are running high over the city’s Ultra Low Emission Zone. 

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London’s mayor says the measure will cut air pollution that is linked to about 4,000 deaths a year in the British capital. Critics say it’s a cash grab that will penalize suburban residents who depend on their cars for work and essential travel.

“The cameras are going to keep coming down,” predicted Nick Arlett, who has organized protests against the clean-air charge and says he neither condones nor condemns the sabotage “People are angry.”

Moves in the UK to cut air pollution and reduce car use have become a political flashpoint. Supporters say cynical politicians and conspiracy theorists are exploiting opposition to the plans. The Conservative government has attacked London’s vehicle levy, leading to allegations it is backing down on green pledges.

London’s plan, known as the ULEZ, levies a £12.50 daily charge on most gas cars and vans built before 2006 and on pre-2015 diesel vehicles. Introduced in central London in 2019, it was expanded in 2021 to the city’s inner suburbs. From Tuesday it covers all of Greater London, including the sprawling outer suburbs where more than half the city’s 9 million people live.

Mayor Sadiq Khan says the expansion means “5 million more Londoners being able to breathe cleaner air.”

“It was a difficult decision, but it’s a vital one and a right one,” he said Tuesday.

But some suburbanites say it will be an unbearable new expense, amid a cost-of-living squeeze that saw inflation top 11 per cent late last year. Outer London has higher levels of car ownership and less public transit than the city centre.

“It’s going to make poor people poorer,” said Anna Austen, who says she relies on her 15-year-old diesel car to get to work and take her children to school.

“I have no money to pay the fines, I have no money to replace my car,” said Austen, who joined a recent protest by several dozen ULEZ opponents beside a busy road in south London. Some passing drivers honked loudly when encouraged to “beep for freedom.”

The issue shot up the national political agenda in July when the governing Conservatives unexpectedly won a special election in the outer London district of Uxbridge by campaigning against the levy introduced by Mayor Khan, a member of the opposition Labour Party.

Since then, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has asked for a review of Low Traffic Neighborhoods – often locally controversial zones where cars are banned from some residential streets – and slammed Labour as hostile to motorists. He has also approved new North Sea oil and gas drilling, sparking accusations the U.K. is backsliding on its climate commitments.

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Sunak’s government says it remains committed to banning the sale of new gas and diesel cars by 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

Sunak said Tuesday that the new car charge “is going to hit working families. I don’t think that’s the right priority.”

Labour points out that the ULEZ was originally announced in 2015 by then-Mayor Boris Johnson, a Conservative. But Labour was rattled by the Uxbridge result, despite its big lead in opinion polls nationwide. Leader Keir Starmer urged London’s mayor to “reflect” on the ULEZ expansion. Khan refused to delay but expanded a scrappage program that offers London residents up to £2,000 to replace old vehicles. Opponents say the money is nowhere near enough.

The air in London, a city once nicknamed the Big Smoke, is getting cleaner¸ though the impact of the ULEZ is debated. A 2021 study by Imperial College London suggested the zone had a relatively small effect on air pollution in the 12 weeks after its central London launch. But research published by the mayor’s office in February found that emissions of harmful nitrogen oxides were 26 per cent lower in the ULEZ area since 2019 than they would have been without it, and emissions of particulate matter were 19 per cent lower.

“We know that low emission zones work,” said Simon Birkett, director of the campaigning group Clean Air in London, arguing that “big problems need big solutions.”

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ULEZ opponents include trade unions and ordinary Londoners, but backers of the plan claim the issue is also being exploited by extremists. Khan told radio station LBC last week that opposition had been “weaponized” by “people who believed in conspiracy theories.”

At a recent demonstration, protesters chanted “Get Khan out,” and many placards attacked the city’s first Muslim mayor personally, sometimes in crude terms. Several protesters referred to Khan as a puppet of larger forces, including the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, that they alleged sought to control society. Some also expressed doubt about the extent of human-caused climate change.

One group involved in the protests¸ Together, was created in 2021 to campaign against coronavirus lockdowns and vaccine mandates. It has since turned its attention to low-traffic neighbourhoods, clean-air schemes and plans for central bank digital currencies.

Co-founder Alan Miller says he’s no conspiracy theorist but that over all those issues the public feels “ignored and treated with contempt” by politicians and bureaucrats.

Other European cities have had varied results with plans to tackle air pollution. Madrid has a similar low-emission zone to London, while Paris’s plan to ban all diesel and older petrol cars has faced delays.

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Supporters of the London plan hope the opposition will fade over time. But Tony Travers, professor of government at the London School of Economics, said he expects to see politicians exploit this “classic political wedge issue” in next year’s national election.

“The use of cars and freedom to use them and where people can drive have great cut-through, in a way that many other issues don’t,” Travers said. “Could pro- and anti-motorists be turned into a theme for the general election? I think it will be.”

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From luxury SUVs to city-smart hybrids, here’s a quick look at the cars that are turning heads this month

A quiet beast

If you want to know what 408 hp and 664 Nm of torque sound like, when you step on the accelerator of the new Audi Q8 e-tron, then let me tell you that it sounds like nothing… quite literally! Much to the disappointment of auto nerds who love the rumble of a powerful engine, Audi’s all-electric super SUV is a silent beast.

The interiors of Audi Q8 e-tron
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We recently took it out for a test drive and while the interiors feature standard Audi fare — including a virtual cockpit and infotainment screen — it’s the exteriors that pique our interest. Audi swaps its older logo for a minimalistic 2-D logo as well as a new-look front grille.

We give a thumbs up to the impressive 114 kWh battery pack, which, according to the manufacturer, promises a range of 600 kms. Drive-wise, this car ticks all boxes and evidently fills the lacuna of high-performance, full-sized, electric SUVs in the country. In the Indian luxury car segment, Audi has been the leader, and this car is its 6th EV in its portfolio, with a mission to promote high-performing electric vehicles. It is priced upwards of ₹1.13 crore. 

A city car

This month, Mercedes-Benz launches its second generation GLC

This month, Mercedes-Benz launches its second generation GLC
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We’ve spent enough time driving Mercedes-Benz GLC’s previous iterations launched in 2016, to know that this is a , foolproof city-driving car. This month, the German carmaker launches its second generation GLC, one of its best-selling SUVs, in a petrol and diesel version with marginally larger dimensions. There are subtle but significant design cues — for instance, the redesigned grille is larger, flanked by brand new, high-performance LEDs. The silhouette has stylised chrome accents by the window, on the roof and floor board giving it an urban, sporty look. The rear too has a simplistic look and we love the 3-D tail lamps.

The German carmaker coddles its passengers with Maybach-inspired interiors

The German carmaker coddles its passengers with Maybach-inspired interiors
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The German carmaker coddles its passengers with Maybach-inspired interiors, ambient lighting and aviation turbine-style air vents. Our favourite part, however, is the massive 11.9 inch infotainment touchscreen. It is also the first Mercedes-Benz SUV to get the latest MBUX user interface. The GLC is a cult favourite and the new version gets a big thumbs up from us in terms of drive quality, technology and luxury. The car is priced upwards of ₹73.5 lakh.

Spacious and design-forward

Citroën’s stylised C3 Aircross SUV has the angles and capabilities of an off-roader, boasting the manufacturer’s famous suspension prowess.

Citroën’s stylised C3 Aircross SUV has the angles and capabilities of an off-roader, boasting the manufacturer’s famous suspension prowess.
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The French have a way with design, and Citroën’s designers go all out with their fourth India model. The C3 Aircross SUV has the proportions and physiology of a classic SUV, in a stylised silhouette. It is suitably called a five-plus-two seater and not a seven-seater.

Citroën is playing on the spaciousness factor

Citroën is playing on the spaciousness factor
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For starters, Citroën brings its legendary suspension to this model too — we challenged it with a cup of full coffee on a bumpy road, and it passed the test. While the C3 Aircross is everything and more on the outside and under the hood, the carmaker surely has a way to go for its rather basic interiors to keep up with its competitors. Citroën is playing on the spaciousness factor — 511 litre of boot space and generous interiors.

What remains to be seen is how the manufacture prices it to keep it competitive. The C3 Aircross SUV that I drove was a 1.2 litre turbo petrol engine, manual version, with an automatic version coming soon.

Popularity contest?

The facelift Kia Seltos is supremely tech heavy and offers multiple customisation options.

The facelift Kia Seltos is supremely tech heavy and offers multiple customisation options.
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The Korean carmaker’s success story in India — the Kia Seltos — gets a major facelift this month. Kia India says that this is its safest and smartest Seltos yet, so we took it for a spin to test those claims. What’s new, you ask? The iconic tiger nose grille gets a redesign, new LEDs and the read gets a fresh, modern look too. We have always been fans of Kia’s incorporation of technology in the mid-SUV segment. We loved the dual 10.25-inch screens, one for driver display and the other for infotainment touchscreen. And there’s a Bose sound system in tow. Apple CarPlay connectivity is quick and pain-free.

I test drove the X-line, which comes with a 1.5 litre turbo petrol and a dual clutch transition, offering a great drive experience and road handling. The new Seltos comes with a Level 2 ADAS, with 17 features, usually seen on high-end cars. With its competitive price starting at ₹10.5 lakh, could this be the SUV that India drives?

A future tourist workhorse?

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is the Indian auto giant’s largest car ever manufactured.

The Maruti Suzuki Invicto is the Indian auto giant’s largest car ever manufactured.
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We recently test drove Maruti Suzuki Invicto, which is the India’s largest carmaker’s most-expensive car. The Invicto is based on the Toyota Innova Hycross, under the Toyota-Suzuki collaboration. It a good-looking SUV with its rugged, upright stance and signature NEXA front grille as well as 17-inch alloy wheels.

Interesting to note that the manufacturer is calling this an intelligent electric hybrid, which combines a petrol engine with an electric motor, where the self-charging mechanism generates superior torque. We found the cabin to be resolutely plush with its panoramic sunroof, fuss-free user interface on the infotainment and comfortable seats in all three rows.

This car packs in a 2.0 litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, making it rather punchy and torquey to drive. The Invicto has the DNA of a quintessential people mover and given the success of the Innova in the tourist segment, we see a bright future for Maruti Suzuki with this model priced upwards of ₹24.7 lakh.

Affordable luxury

Hyundai Exter is the South Korean manufacturer’s entry-level offering, with impressive cabin features

Hyundai Exter is the South Korean manufacturer’s entry-level offering, with impressive cabin features
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The Hyundai Exter is the Korean manufacturer’s new entry-level SUV offering. The car makes a statement on the road with its chic lines, skid plates, bold stance, striking DRLs and tail lights. Hyundai says that the Exter sets a benchmark in its segment, owing to its 40 advanced and 26 standard safety features. It comes in three powertrain options — 1.2 litre petrol, 1.2 litre (five-speed manual and Smart Auto AMT), as well as a 1.2 litre bi-fuel petrol and CNG version with five-speed manual.

The interiors of Hyundai Exter

The interiors of Hyundai Exter
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We found the interiors to be premium in finish, with elegant, accents on the dashboard and centre console. Full marks for the panoramic sunroof (voice command enabled), dash cam with dual camera, the highly interactive 4.3-inch driver display and the easy-to-use 8-inch infotainment touchscreen. Starting price: ₹5.99 lakh.

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Turkish century: History looms large on election day

ISTANBUL — From the Aegean coast to the mountainous frontier with Iran, millions of Turks are voting at the country’s 191,884 ballot boxes on Sunday — with both President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his main rival Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu warning the country is at a historical turning point.

In the last sprints of the nail-bitingly close election race, the dueling candidates have both placed heavy emphasis on the historical resonance of the vote falling exactly 100 years after the foundation of the secular Turkish republic by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk in 1923.

In the Istanbul district of Ümraniye on the final day of campaigning, Erdoğan told voters the country was on “the threshold of a Turkish century” that will be the “century of our children, our youth, our women.”

Erdoğan’s talk of a Turkish century is partly a pledge to make the country stronger and more technologically independent, particularly in the defense sector. Over the past months, the president has been quick to associate himself with the domestically-manufactured Togg electric car, the “Kaan” fighter jet and Anadolu, the country’s first aircraft carrier.

But Erdoğan’s Turkish century is about more than home-grown planes and ships. Few people doubt the president sees 2023 as a key threshold to accelerate his push away from Atatürk’s secular legacy and toward a more religiously conservative nation. Indeed, his campaign has been characterized by a heavy emphasis on family values and bitter rhetoric against the LGBTQ+ community. Unsurprisingly, he wrapped up his campaign on Saturday night in Hagia Sophia — once Constantinople’s greatest church — which he contentiously reconverted from a museum back into a mosque, as it had been in Ottoman times.    

The state that Atatürk forged from the ashes of the Ottoman empire in 1923 was secular and modernizing, often along Western models, with the introduction of Latin letters and even the banning of the fez in favor of Western-style hats. In this regard, the Islamist populist Erdoğan is a world away from the ballroom-dancing, rakı-quaffing field marshal Atatürk.

The 2023 election is widely being cast as a decisive referendum on which vision for Turkey will win through, and Erdoğan has been keen to portray the opposition as sell-outs to the West and global financial institutions such as the International Monetary Fund. “Are you ready to bury at the ballot box those who promised to give over the country’s values ​​to foreigners and loan sharks?” he called out to the crowd in Ümraniye.

This is not a man who is casting himself as the West’s ally. Resisting pressure that Ankara should not cozy up so much to the Kremlin, Erdoğan snapped on Friday that he would “not accept” the opposition’s attacks on Russian President Vladimir Putin — after Kılıçdaroğlu complained of Russian meddling in the election.   

All about Atatürk

By contrast, Erdogan’s main rival Kılıçdaroğlu is trying to assume the full mantle of Atatürk, and is stressing the need to put the country back on the path toward European democratic norms after Erdoğan’s lurch toward authoritarianism. While Erdoğan ended his campaign in the great mosque of Hagia Sophia, Kılıçdaroğlu did so by laying flowers at Atatürk’s mausoleum.

Speaking from a rain-swept stage in Ankara on Friday night, the 74-year-old bureaucrat declared: “We will make all of Turkey Mustafa Kemal’s [Atatürk’s] Turkey!”

In his speech, he slammed Erdoğan for giving Turkey over to drug runners and crony networks of oligarch construction bosses, saying the country had no place for “robbers.” Symbolically, he chided the president for ruling from his 1,150-room presidential complex — dubbed the Saray or palace — and said that he would rule from the more modest Çankaya mansion that Atatürk used for his presidency.

Warming to his theme of Turkey’s “second century,” Kılıçdaroğlu posted a video in the early hours of Saturday morning, urging young people to fully embrace the founding father’s vision. After all, he hails from the CHP party that Atatürk founded.

“We are entering the second century, young ones. And now we have a new generation, we have you. We have to decide altogether: Will we be among those who only commemorate Atatürk — like in the first century — or those who understand him in this century? This generation will be of those who understand,” he said, speaking in his trademark grandfatherly tone from his book-lined study.

At least in the upscale neighborhood of Beşiktaş, on Saturday night, all the talk of Atatürk was no dry history lesson. Over their final beers — before an alcohol sale ban comes in force over election day — young Turks punched the air and chanted along with a stirring anthem: “Long Live Mustafa Kemal Pasha, long may he live.”

In diametric opposition to Erdoğan, who has detained opponents and exerts heavy influence over the judiciary and the media, Kılıçdaroğlu is insisting that he will push Turkey to adopt the kind of reforms needed to move toward EU membership.

When asked by POLITICO whether that could backfire because some hostile EU countries would always block Turkish membership, he said the reforms themselves were the most important element for Turkey’s future.

“It does not matter whether the EU takes us in or not. What matters is bringing all the democratic standards that the EU foresees to our country,” he said in an exclusive interview on the sidelines of a rally in the central city of Sivas. “We are part of Western civilization. So the EU may accept us or not, but we will bring those democratic standards. The EU needs Turkey.”

Off to the polls

Polling stations — which are set up in schools — open at 8 a.m. on election day and close at 5 p.m. At 9 p.m. media can start reporting, and unofficial results are expected to start trickling in around midnight.

The mood is cautious, with rumors swirling that internet use could be restricted or there could be trouble on the streets if there are disputes over the result.

The fears of some kind of trouble have only grown after reports of potential military or governmental involvement in the voting process.

Two days before the election, the CHP accused Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu of preparing election manipulation. The main opposition party said Soylu had called on governors to seek army support on election night. Soylu made no public response.  

Turkey’s Supreme Election Council (YSK) has rejected the interior ministry’s request to collect and store election results on its own database. The YSK also banned the police and gendarmerie from collecting election results. 

Erdoğan himself sought to downplay any fears of a stolen election. In front of a studio audience of young people on Friday, he dismissed as “ridiculous” the suggestion that he might not leave office if he lost. “We came to power in Turkey by democratic means and by the courtesy of people. If they make a different decision whatever the democracy requires we will do it,” said the president, looking unusually gaunt, perhaps still knocked back by what his party said was a bout of gastroenteritis during the campaign.

The opposition is vowing to keep close tabs on all of the polling stations to try to prevent any fraud.

In Esenyurt Cumhuriyet Square, in the European part of Istanbul, a group of high-school students gathered on Saturday morning to greet Ekrem İmamoğlu, the popular mayor of Istanbul, who would be one of Kılıçdaroğlu’s vice presidents if he were to win.

Ilayda, 18, said she would vote for the opposition because of its position on democracy, justice and women’s rights.

When asked what would happen if Erdoğan won, she replied: “We plan to start a deep mourning. Our country as we know it will not be there anymore.”



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