Conservative plans to offer incentives to drivers who choose less-polluting cars have been welcomed by motorists groups, as well as environmentalists.
Conservative leader, ~David Cameron~ has launched his new agenda for cleaner, greener transport in the hope that voters will ‘go green by voting blue’.
He proposed changes to the road tax system – including differential rates of vehicle excise duty – alongside looking at changing parking charges and congestion charges to incentivise the take-up of ‘greener’ vehicles. He also suggested localised schemes of the kind being used in the US, where employers are offered incentives for promoting greener forms of travel.
The agenda states: ‘Our intention is to develop a programme that is cost-neutral – to alter the balance between the cost of owning traditionally-powered, less environmentally-friendly vehicles and the equivalent cost of a new-generation vehicle.’
Environmental group ~Transport 2000~ had, in the past, expressed disappointment with the progress towards greener cars in the UK. Its members disappointment was exacerbated by figures released this week by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders showing average emissions from new cars fell only slightly last year to 169.4 grammes of carbon dioxide per kilometre.
A spokesman said: ‘It is very easy to be cynical about Conservative attempts to be green, but lets give them some headroom and see what they come up with.
‘We welcome this step and hope other political parties will make similar commitments.’ A spokeswoman for the RAC Foundation also welcomed the strategy. ‘We believe if everyone chose the most fuel-efficient vehicle of the type they wanted, for instance, the best mini or 4X4, we could cut emissions by 30%.
‘This would exceed our commitments to the Kyoto agreement.’