Scrapping plan for dirtiest diesel vehicles unlikely to improve air quality claims RAC

A SCRAPPAGE scheme paying to remove the dirtiest diesel cars from the roads is unlikely to have a significant impact on air pollution, analysis suggests.

A study by the RAC Foun- dation found that around 1.9 million diesel cars fall into the oldest and most polluting categories, accounting for 17 per cent of all diesel cars on the roads.

They are responsible for around 15 per cent of the emissions of nitrogen oxides, pollutants linked to respiratory and heart diseases and premature death, from the diesel car fleet, the RAC Foundation said.

An estimated 40,000 people die early each year in the UK because of air pollution, with emissions from transport – particularly diesel vehicles – a major factor.

If a programme similar to the scrappage scheme introduced in 2009/10 as an economic stimulus for the car industry was run targeting diesel cars, it could take 400,000 of the oldest cars off the road.

It would cost some £800 million, with the UK Government and manufacturers both contributing £1,000 each to people trading their existing vehicle for a new model.

But the analysis suggests that even if all the 400,000 older cars were replaced by clean electric cars, the cut in pollution from the diesel fleet would be about 3.2 per cent of all the emissions from diesel cars.