The government is being urged to introduce a new scrappage-style scheme aimed at motorists who were "seduced" into buying diesel cars, but now face punishment in the form of a new fuel levy.
In 2001, then-chancellor Gordon Brown increased excise duty for new petrol cars that emit higher amounts of carbon dioxide, making diesel cars a relative bargain in comparison.
Since then, the number of diesel cars on the UK's roads has surged from just 1.6 million to 11 million.
However, after Britain failed to meet air quality targets established by the European Union, a number of major cities are poised to introduce a £10 a day tax on diesel drivers because of some of the other harmful fumes associated with the fuel.
Just last month, London mayor Boris Johnson unveiled plans to implement a further diesel levy on top of the existing congestion charge, in a move that effectively punishes motorists who originally thought they were helping the environment by buying diesel.
With that in mind, the Sun – with the backing of several industry groups – is lobbying the government to launch a new scrappage scheme aimed at diesel drivers, offering them £2,000 towards the cost of a new model. This would ensure they can buy a vehicle that meets the required environmental standards, thus avoiding the need to pay the new charges.
Commenting on the proposals, RAC technical director David Bizley said: "There's a lot of merit in a scrappage scheme for older diesel vehicles. It could follow the previous one that offered £2,000 off the price of a new vehicle to drivers of diesel cars more than ten years old.
"But the government also need to be able to say how they can help drivers who have recently bought diesel."
Posted by Bob Fletcher