Motorists in London should be given up to £3,500 to replace their old diesel cars and vans with cleaner vehicles, Sadiq Khan has said.
The Mayor has called on the Government to introduce a scrappage scheme, costing an estimated £500m, offering incentives to low-income households and businesses to switch to less polluting models, the Observer reported.
He has also argued that car tax should be redesigned to put a stop to incentives for drivers who choose a diesel car, according to the newspaper.
Nitrogen dioxide emissions from diesel cars are a key contributor to the capital’s poor air quality, which has seen City Hall advising the public to avoid strenuous exercise on the worst-affected days.
The latest high air pollution alert for the capital was issued on Saturday after a polluted air mass over north-west Europe reached London.
In January, air pollution in London reached a six year high when a “black” alert was issued for parts of the capital leading to one school restricting time outdoors for young children.
The Mayor told the Observer: “The toxic state of our air leaves us with no choice but to rid our city of the most polluting diesel vehicles.
“It is shocking that nearly half of new car sales in the UK are still diesel vehicles and the national system of vehicle excise duty still incentivises motorists to buy these polluting cars.”
He urged the Government to review the policy and said he had delivered a report to the relevant ministers, including Chancellor Phillip Hammond, on Sunday outlining his proposals.
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Under his proposed scrappage scheme, London’s van drivers would receive £3,500 towards a cleaner vehicle, while low-income families would get £2,000 to spend on alternative transport such as a car pool or a less polluting model.
