News -

RAC reacts to concerns that diesel drivers could be charged to enter city centres

RAC roads policy spokesman Nick Lyes said: “It is right that steps are taken to tackle poor air quality, however many motorists and businesses will feel worried that they are going to be unfairly targeted with punitive charges, especially those who heeded advice in 2009 to switch to diesel vehicles because it was considered the right choice environmentally.

“Demonising diesel vehicles as a whole is also extremely short-sighted. Some of the newest diesel vehicles on the road are also some of the cleanest, and diesels will also play a role in helping to reduce CO2 emissions, which contribute to man-made climate change.

“The Government should instead find ways to encourage motorists to switch from the most polluting vehicles to cleaner modern vehicles, rather than punishing existing owners. Changes to vehicle excise duty rates in 2017, where ultra-low emission vehicles will pay the same standard rate as a far more polluting vehicle after the first year, is certainly not going to encourage motorists to switch. The Government must also look to stimulate the modernisation of bus and taxi fleets, which can be the worst polluting vehicles in city centres.”

Topics

  • Cars and traffic

Categories

  • public affairs
  • air quality

Contacts

  • RAC submission to BEIS Committee on electric vehicles
    License:
    Creative Commons Attribution, no derivatives
    File format:
    .doc
    Download

Related content

  • RAC comments on Mayor of London ULEZ policy

    ​In response to the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan's announcement that introducing ULEZ into the captial a year early, RAC head of external affairs Pete Williams said: “While bold action is needed to tackle London’s air quality problem, we fear bringing in the ULEZ a year early could unfairly penalise small businesses with older vehicles, as well as less well-off private motorists.