Diesel-ban ministers using, er, diesel cars
MORE than two-thirds of ministerial cars are diesel – despite a major SNP drive to introduce ‘greener’ options.
Plans to reduce emissions will see highly polluting vehicles banned from city centres in Scotland in the next two years.
The Scottish Government wants the country to phase out petrol and diesel-powered vehicles by 2032, in favour of alternative fuels and hybrids.
But new figures show 17 out of 25 ministerial vehicles use diesel, a disclosure last night described as ‘embarrassing’ and ‘disappointing’.
Scottish Lib Dem environment spokesman Mariam Mahmood said: ‘This is embarrassing. SNP ministers should be leading by example.’
Scotland’s ministerial fleet includes 17 diesel Skoda Superbs, two cars powered by petrol and six hybrid/petrols.
The non-diesel range includes a Lexus RX450h, two Mitsubishi Outlander PHEVs and a VW Passat PHEV among others.
Last night Yannick Read, of the Environmental Transport Association, said: ‘It is extremely disappointing that two-thirds of Scottish ministerial vehicles are diesel-powered.
‘But we suspect this “do as we say and not as we do” approach to air pollution is echoed by many areas of government around Britain, so we would urge all departments to practise what they preach and invest in alternative fuel vehicles.’
Scottish Labour environment spokesman Claudia Beamish urged the Government to consider replacing the diesel cars in favour of greener transport. She said: ‘To have more than two-thirds of the ministerial fleet of cars operating on diesel could give the impression ministers are complacent about the impact diesel fuel has on our air quality.’
A spokesman for EV Association Scotland, representing electric vehicle drivers, congratulated the Scottish Government and Transport Scotland for work they had done to promote greener travel.
He added: ‘Scotland has excellent charging infrastructure – compared with other UK areas – but stopping for a 30-minute charge after driving 150 miles may not be ideal for a minister on a mission.
‘Until there is an alternative fuelled vehicle that takes this up to 250 miles, it would be unfair to criticise. After all, Scotland is quite a large country and not all journeys will be in the Central Belt.’
Ministers have committed to introducing low-emission zones in Scotland’s four biggest cities by 2020.
The Scottish Government plans to drive polluting vehicles out of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee city centres.
But there are also plans to extend the crackdown further – with hundreds of thousands of cars banned from up to 38 areas right across Scotland.
Critics say that the proposals are ‘concerning’ and warn that they would prove costly and confusing for drivers.
The Scottish Government’s consultation on low emission zones ended last November.
Figures from the RAC Foundation in December showed use of electric vehicle charge points in Scotland increased by 43 per cent in 2017.
‘Practise what they preach’