Quote:

Notes

The classification of your vehicle can vary if...

the height of your vehicle is altered by the load you are carrying
you modify your vehicle (e.g. larger/small wheels, altered suspension)
you are carrying an external load over the front axle

How f**king ridiculous is that!

So a lowered Defender on 205 tyres could possibly pay less to use the road than a Defender with a 2" lift, 255 tyres and a bonnet mounted spare or puma bonnet even though they are the same vehicle and near enough the same weight?!  Pete

2010 Discovery 4 GS TDV6
1972 Series III 88" 2.25P

smb wrote:

Warning to anyone intending to use the M6 Toll in their Defender.......

Those Robbing Bs have just charged me £ 11:00 to get through at 22:15. Always used to be £5.50, but tonight I thought to save Birmingham traffic I would do the Toll. Got to kiosk, handed over a tenner to be told"Don't shoot the messenger, but it's £11.00 as your bonnet is higher than a normal car. Despite arguing, and the fact their was a massive queue building up they wouldn't let me through unless I handed them £ 11.00.

To say I'm f d off is an understatement and I will never use it again.

W s!!

smb wrote:

I went through on Monday and it was £5.50. Tonight it was showing as class 4 so £11.00. Showed her the ticket and then she asked if I had put a wheel on the bonnet?!? My reply was"Does it look like it?" Her answer" I'll have to speak to my supervisor" to which the faceless t t said if I want to complain then ring the helpline on the ticket, but it is still £11.00.

1 ½" lift with 265/75r16's, but still doesn't answer why the umpteen times I've been through this year and on Monday it was £5.50.

Shame there isn't a website/group where everyone boycotts things like this. It would soon have an effect. At least I won't get ripped off by them again as I'll never bl..dy use it.

I have no doubt (because the idiots in Europe love this stuff) that you would have a legitimate claim to 'Unfair Trade'. I would base this on the fact that as far as the DVLA is concerned your vehicle is classed as a car, not as an 'unusual' car or truck or other vehicle, so if the advertised price for a 'car' is x, yours should not be descrimiated against and you should be charged the same price. After all, your Defender does not create anymore problems than any other car using the road.

If any reason should be chosen for extra money it should be weight, as this has a direct baring on road 'wear and tear'. But given it would be too complicated for someone in the tollbooth to ascertain the weight of some lower-slung cars (Bentleys, Mercs, Beemers etc) that might still be similar in weight to a Defender, it is easier for them to target those 'nasty' 4x4s....

It's the times we live in. When (as happened to me) your '4x4' gets charged double for a parking permit but based on 4x4s being bigger polluters, then you kno they're taking the Micturation. When I complained to Richmond Council it was completely lost on them that a. My A4 was not the sort of 4x4 they were targeting. b. That even if they were targeting all 4x4s mine was a 3-year old petrol and so belching out far better fumes than the myriad white vans, council vans, basic, badly maintained diesel cars etc. and that c. Even taking all of the above into account, by definition a parking permit is for a parked car and therefore it is emitting no fumes at all.....  Monsieur Le Grenadier

I've not been everywhere, but it's on my list.....

2011 Puma 110DC - Corris Grey