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© Carbuyer Diesel scrappage scheme proposed
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The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has put forward a proposal that would see drivers of older diesels given as much as £2,000 to replace their cars with newer, less polluting models.
Under these plans, heavily polluting vans and minibuses could be scrapped for £3,500, with low-income households getting £2,000 for disposing of older diesel cars. These proposals have yet to meet with government approval, but it’s expected diesels meeting pre-Euro 4 emissions standards would be targeted, essentially putting cars built before 2005 in the firing line.
Euro 4 cars are already in Sadiq Khan’s sights, as his toxicity charge – or T-Charge – is expected later this year, and is likely to target pre-Euro 4 vehicles. The T-Charge would see drivers of such cars paying an extra £10 to drive into the capital – on top of the existing £11.50 Congestion Charge.
Diesel used to be a darling, feted by policymakers and environmentalists as the answer to high carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and poor air quality. The CO2 targets set out by the Kyoto Protocol in 1992 led carmakers and politicians to diesel’s door, as it produces far less CO2 when burnt than petrol.
Science has moved on since then, with studies linking the mono-nitrogen oxides and particulate matter found in diesel fumes to respiratory conditions and other significant health issues. Estimates put the cost of a diesel scrappage scheme at £500 million, but its exponents say this cost is not only justified morally, but also economically: air pollution is said to cost the UK billions of pounds each year in lost productivity and healthcare obligations.
While the proposed figures for the diesel scrappage scheme may be new, the idea behind it has been around for a while. Sadiq Khan’s 2016 mayoral manifesto set out his intention to “[c]all upon the Government to introduce a diesel vehicle scrappage scheme to support those who wish to change to a greener car.”
It's not just VW: 30 dirty diesels accused of emissions cheating
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It's not just VW: 30 dirty diesels accused of emissions cheating
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