UKIP Transport spokesman Jill Seymour has called on the
Government to prevent councils from ‘demonising’ drivers of
diesel vehicles with massive rises in parking charges.
Her comments follow the launch of a pilot scheme in central
London which will see Westminster City Council charging an extra
50 per cent on the normal hourly parking charge - just for diesel
vehicles – starting in April.
Mrs Seymour said: “The Government needs to step in and nip this
money-grabbing scheme in the bud, before it spreads like
wild-fire across other parts of the country.
“It is totally wrong for the authorities to be demonising drivers
of diesel cars, just a few years after they were actively
encouraging the very same people to buy them.
“These drivers bought diesel cars in good faith, on the back of
incentives which were promoted by the Government.
She added: “Politicians who seem to sway with the wind want to
damage the family finances of people who purchased diesel cars on
the strength of Government advice. This is a case of disgraceful
double-standards, and is simply not fair.
“Instead of trying to penalise them, they should be focusing
their attention on removing the diesel trucks, buses and taxis,
which create far more pollution in our towns and cities.”
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, along with BMW,
Ford, and Jaguar Land Rover, have echoed Mrs Seymour’s beliefs
that fears over diesel are misplaced.
"Today's diesel engines are the cleanest ever, and manufacturers
have spent billions of pounds reducing their emissions," she
said.
“It is not the modern car which is causing poor air pollution in
our cities. It is large diesel engine vehicles such as buses,
trains and trucks, which are typically much older.
“When drivers of diesel cars are driven out of our towns and
cities, is anyone pausing to think of the damage this could be
doing to retailers who rely on them for their business?”
