Where's the logic?

On the 6th April, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet (Minister of Ecology)
declared that she wants to introduce a ban in 8 towns and cities
across France for two wheelers manufactured before 2004 starting in
2012. Two of the cities are Paris and Saint Denis (93) just north and
east of Paris.

The draft ministerial order states that inspection may be done by chip
(probably RFID) or CCTV (of which the French have a complete
abhorrence too).

There'll probably be toll gates at the entrance of cities shortly
after that. Why? Just why?

 

Is this something that they really might introduce, or just the usual
kite-flying?

 

It's 2 and 4+ wheelers and the arguments are about old engines and
pollution. Which isn't entirely out of order.
The 2004 thing is pretty gash, I guess it's to do with the hordes of
scooters. Cars are 1997. I'd have thought that's also a bit ambitious, most
cars built from 97 on would be pretty clean designs.

 

Catalytic convertors came in some time in the late 1980s, didn't they?

I reckon the Kawasaki Triples Club should stage a rally in Paris.....

 

There's no logic to the London low emission zone.
Old commercial vehicles still have to pass the MOT test so they wouldn't
be polluting
and the proportion of miles driven by diesels over ten years old is minimal,
so it's just a very expensive scheme, with no benefits, which has fucked
a few small businesses.

 

Not really. The idea is not to ensure that all vehicles are in good
engine tune, but that most >15-y-o cars and vans are vastly less
efficient than modern ones, hence creating more CO2 etc.

Not that I support the idea, but I think that's the logic of it.

 

Vastly less efficient? Hardly. And it's pre 2001, not 15 years.
There are not that many old commercial diesels in other cities so
the benefits of changing them to slightly 'cleaner' ones are minimal.

 

Aye. Petrol engine efficiency has improved by something like 50% over
the last couple of decades.

Hog quoted it at 2007.

Why are you only talking abouit commercial diesels? AFAICS the rule in
question refers equally to cars and other vehicles.

<Light dawns>

You're talking about something entirely different, aren't you? I was
referring to the Paris rules that Cab posted about.