Diesel car ban to cut pollution
Traditional vehicles to be scrapped by 2040 as ministers announce tax on drivers in busiest areas
DIESEL drivers on congested roads in towns and cities across the UK face new pollution taxes under Government plans which will ultimately herald the end of the traditional car.
Ministers have identified 81 major roads in 17 towns and cities where urgent action is required because they are in breach of EU emissions standards, putting people’s health at risk. The Government will also commit to banning the sale of all new diesel and petrol cars by 2040 to force people to switch to electric and hybrid vehicles.
The Government’s air quality strategy, published today, urges local authorities to first try to reduce emissions by retrofitting the most polluting diesel vehicles with filters, changing road layouts and removing speed humps.
However, it concedes that as a last resort councils will be allowed to impose tough levies on the most polluting diesel vehicles as soon as 2020 to bring down the levels of harmful nitrogen dioxide emissions.
The strategy stops short of meeting the demands of motoring groups for a diesel scrappage scheme, under which diesel drivers would receive compensation for trading in their polluting vehicles.
It instead says that the Government will hold a consultation on a “possible” scrappage scheme in the autumn, which sources have suggested is likely to be “very, very targeted”.
Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, is expected to warn local authorities against “unfairly penalising” drivers by imposing pollution taxes and other restrictions on diesel drivers.
The Government is concerned that motorists were encouraged to buy diesel vehicles under Labour more than a decade ago because of concerns at the time over carbon emissions. Mr Gove has significantly stripped back previous plans which could have seen restrictions on diesel cars across entire city and town centres, instead aiming to reduce emissions on specific roads. Councils could ultimately introduce taxes like the London congestion charge on heavily polluted roads.
A new analysis found that 48 of the most polluted roads are in London. Others have been identified in Birmingham, Derby, Leeds, Nottingham, Southampton, Bristol, Bolton, Manchester, Bury, Coventry, Newcastle, Sheffield, Belfast, Cardiff and Middlesbrough.
The pollution hotspots are predominantly on A-roads but also include stretches of two motorways: the M4 near London and the M32 in Bristol.
The strategy will insist that any restrictions on diesel cars must be “time limited” and lifted as soon as air pollution levels fall within legal limits.
A Government spokesman said: “Our plan to deal with dirty diesels will help councils clean up emissions hotspots – often a single road – through common sense measures which do not unfairly penalise ordinary working people.
“Diesel drivers are not to blame and to help them switch to cleaner vehicles the government will consult on a targeted scrappage scheme – one of a number of measures to support motorists affected by local plans.”
The Government has been forced to come up with tougher measures to target diesel drivers after losing a case against environmental campaigners Clientearth over breaches of EU emissions standards.
Instead of pollution taxes, councils will be urged to improve the flow of traffic with measures such as removing speed humps to prevent cars repeatedly slowing down and speeding up, which almost doubles the amount of harmful gasses they pump out.
Other options expected to be put forward include better sequencing of traffic lights to ensure drivers keep arriving at green lights rather than red ones if they drive within the speed limit.
Ministers will provide an extra £255 million to help councils implement their plans, which could come into force as soon as 2020.