CO2 rating for FTOs

[stevec]

Does anyone know what the emmissions rating is for FTOs?
i.e. how many grams/km of CO2.

It seems that starting in 2008 the road tax will be loaded based on this.

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/motors ... 45639.html

[Myfeckin FTO]

I don't think FTO owners will have to worry - its based on 2008 cars onwards -

"....Cars which are registered prior to January 1st, 2008, will continue to be taxed in accordance with current arrangements and CO2 ratings will not apply to these vehicles," says the statement. So, we will have to wait for another two months or so to find out exactly how this system will work. One reason for the delay in releasing details is the fact that the Department does not want some people rushing to bring in "dirtier" pre-2008 models from outside the State...."

Its just another convenient way for the government to raise tax levels as far as I am concerned while pretending to fly the "green" flag.

If the EU forces VRT to go from Ireland (it is an illegal tax according to the EU) then I imagine the goverment will go to town on this so called green tax to make up for their loss.
We already have VERY high road tax in Ireland - if they tie this into a UK type senario and try to copy their rates (I already pay €1343 per year in tax) - I'd like to see how they can realistically increase this for a 280gram CO2 car like the Zed - they could be shooting themselves in the foot.

[colm_mcm]

I still think a big tax on fuel would be an easier answer, if you have 6 high performance cars that all do small mileage, it's not fair to have to pay €5k a year to tax them. It follows that the more petrol you use, the more you pollute, so why not link petrol useage to taxation (more!)

[GarLaf]

Thats what we get for voting in the Green loosers.... If they were realistic about pollution they would, as above said, tax petrol/diesel instead of fixed fees. They could also add 2 cent to the litre to pay for the M50 and shift that feckin toll booth.

[adrian]

I agree with Colm to an extent... but I am lucky enough to live in Dublin, close enough to work to cycle!

They say 2008 cars onwards..... but I think they are saying cars FIRST REGISTERED IN IRELAND from 2008 onwards.... meaning that importing an older motor after 2008 will still mean carbon tax.... they want to stop the import of older more "dirty" cars.

I wonder what the load will be... 10%, 20% 50%??

[colm_mcm]

I think it will be much the same idea as the current VRT system, only tiered according to emissions rather than engine size.

[adrian]

a country with such a s*it public transport system would not really be able to justify tax on petrol... you know what I mean? It would suit me though. I do about 5k miles a year in my 911.... burn alot less fuel then someone doing 50k miles in a 1.4 car... but I will pay more road tax by a long way

[Muad_dib77]

Build a windmill - hug a tree - stick up a solar panel - help a snail..

I say there are bigger things to worry about than cars...yes I realise that cars are a major factor in polluting our enviroment - but if we had sustainable energy sources we could potentially get rid of exhaust emissions altogether..

Free the beetles!

[stevec]

"....Cars which are registered prior to January 1st, 2008, will continue to be taxed in accordance with current arrangements ..."

Hadn't copped that bit - panic was setting in as I read through it.

so we're safe (for now).

[adrian]

Does anyone know if importing older cars like FTOs after Jan 08 will mean they will be liable for the tax?

[stevec]

Why should people who only drive 5k miles a year pay the same as someone doing 50k?

Agree, however, I would guess the most km done on our roads by far is by commercial vehicles - reps company TDi / white vans / taxis / buses and coaches.
At the moment they pay comparatively less tax:
2L private car = €539
commercial up to 3000kg = €253
bus / coach = €307
taxi = €72 (WTF!)

They also reclaim VAT on fuel and so pay less per km than us.

OK a fuel surcharge will effect them more than private cars as they do more miles but it'll get passed on to us anyway through higher prices for the goods / services they provide.

The arguement that they pay less tax because they are travelling for a living is weak - that's what most private motorists do going to work every day...

[Wildhound]

Most private motorists don't need to drive to work though, they choose to. Public transport might be horrific in this country but most people could still get to work just as quickly on the bus or by walking/cycling etc.

Taxis and commercial drivers can't. People are willing to pay the taxes to have the extra comfort, or indeed out of pure laziness.

Regardless, the fact that costs are passed on to consumers makes it pointless to tax commercial drivers for emissions/fuel. It won't prevent them doing miles, we'll just be paying for it.

[Muad_dib77]

OOh the controversy!

Those of of fortunate enough to live in the stick have no option to drive...
one could argue that we shouldn't be living amongst fields and wildlife if we choose to work in the city..

a bus passes through my village twice a day - and it goes nowhere near my work place.. a quick calculation tells me that it would take approx 3-4 hours to get to or from work using public transportation - providing it was on time.

It takes me about an hour these days...and that's bad enough..I feel scammed everytime I pay a tax on anything that has anything to do with my car..cause the facilities this money is supposed to go to are utter balls - and the only half decent roads around are toll roads anyways..

I dont disagree that something should be done save the slugs and the general enviroment..but by god the answer is not in taxes..

[Wildhound]

Well to be fair Muad I was more referring to the million or so who live in the greater dublin area, a lot of whom insist on driving to work even if the LUAS happens to connect them directly and take a fraction of the time.

Or if there are busses every ten minutes that would take the SAME time but leave space on the road for people that don't have that option.

Or those people who drive a mile or two to work when they've a perfectly good set of legs.

Obviously these options aren't open to everyone, but if more people made more of an effort things would be easier for everyone else and this kind of taxation might not even be necessary to begin with.

An awful lot of Irish people are very lazy and selfish. I'm not excluding myself by the way, but at least I drive to the LUAS station and take that the rest of the way.

[stevec]

I live in Dublin, work in Bray.

I had to use public transport recently for the trip:
10 min walk in the rain to bus stop
45 min on smelly bus into centre
5 min walk in the rain from bus to dart
45 min on dart to bray
15 min waiting for finnegans bus
10 mins on another smelly bus
5 mins walk from bus to work
= 2hrs 15 min door to door.

yep. I'd much rather that than 20mins in my FTO.

g/f drives then gets the luas to city centre. She has to drive to dundrum because it's full after that and no-one can get on.
It's actually quicker for her to drive to work and marginally cheaper (factoring luas ticket / parking at luas / fuel). Reason she doesn't is availability of parking at work is limited.

edit: If public transport could get me there quicker - yes I'd use it.

[mcgon1979]

Most private motorists don't need to drive to work people could still get to work just as quickly on the bus or by walking/cycling etc.

not true for me anyways. In my last job I worked on the train line so it was true, but I work in parkwest now, and its a nightmare to get to from blanch. into town on bus, onto luas and 20 minute walk. the car takes me 25 minutes in the morning. 3 times faster than any possible public transport solution.

[mcgon1979]

so it seems that most people here drive to work as a necessity not because they like driving. It seems the option of public transport means an average of 6x more travel time each way for the people on this board who replied with details.
not very good. I suppose the only ones who really win are those living on a bus route into their place of work, or on the train line if they work near a station. otherwise it really isn;t a choice is it? 20 - 30mins in car or 2 - 3 hours on bus/train. plus... I have to add this point, there are train cancellations regularly due to "technical line faults" and all sorts of crap. take that into mind too.