Don’t demonise diesel drivers
i’Ve spent £24,000 on two family diesel cars in the past four years and i am angry that all the blame for air pollution is being put on the motorist. Car firms and oil companies know petrol and diesel cars both contribute to pollution. even electric cars are not totally without blame — how do you think the batteries are made? Of the 12.5 million diesel cars on the road, a high number are owned on personal contract purchase agreements, which benefit motor manufacturers and the finance sector. if action is taken against diesel vehicles, the financial consequences will be passed on to consumers and businesses. scrapping older diesel cars will take poorer families off the road — is that what we want? instead of demonising diesel cars, i would suggest a number of sensible measures. super diesel and super unleaded petrol, which are cleaner, should be no more expensive than regular fuels. Oil companies should be encouraged to develop more environmentally friendly fuels compatible with today’s engines. instead of focusing on the private driver, we should also look at planes, buses, taxis and commercial vehicles when we call for change. after all, the growth of internet delivery companies for the ‘want it now’ customer has generated 500,000 extra vehicles on the road. Perhaps there could be a tax on internet deliveries? Yes, i know there’s a massive pollution problem, but i don’t believe making people’s most valuable asset (after their house) worthless and then expecting them to fork out more for their next car is the way forward. instead, we need a panel of qualified, industry experts to come up with a national action plan.
CASPER GORNIOK, Normandy, Surrey.