The BBC reports on the Environmental Audit Committee’s scepticism over plans to increase road tax for more polluting vehicles bought since 2001. However, the government report doesn’t go far enough in condemning the plan. Despite their conclusions, it’s a retrospective tax which penalises drivers who have previously bought more polluting cars, rather than aiming to change future behaviour. The increase will hit the poorest hardest, as they are less able to replace their cars with more fuel efficient models. And enticing people to scrap their current cars in favour of more efficient models is not an environmentally friendly way to proceed anyway, as the environmental impact of scrapping a car and building a completely new one is surely far worse than using an existing, more polluting car until the end of its natural life. The plans are ill thought-out and smack of the desperation of a government wanting to demonstrate any kind of direction as it flounders.

Posted Monday, August 4th, 2008 @ 1:57 am
Filed in business and productivity, environment, politics

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