Petrol and diesel car ban ‘makes no sense’ as drivers reject the new scheme

Michael Gove grilled by Hartley-Brewer on car ban cost

A new survey from FairFuel UK has found 56 percent of over 26,000 drivers disagree with the new scheme and do not advocate for a sales ban. A total of 37 percent of drivers say they would like to see a ban implemented at some point between now and 2050.

Just three percent say a ban should be brought forward to 2021 with a further 16 percent calling for changes before 2030.

However, cyclists were more interested in the project with 80 percent of those surveyed backing a total ban on the sale of polluting cars before 2030.

Almost one in five of these wanted a ban introduced immediately in 2021 with a further 29 percent saying plans should be brought forward to 2025.

Just eight percent of cyclists were completely against a petrol and diesel car ban as views were split between those using different forms of road transport.

We will use your email address only for sending you newsletters. Please see our Privacy Notice for details of your data protection rights.

Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, Howard Cox, Founder of FairFuelUK said “it makes no sense” why the Government was falling under the cyclists “undemocratic spell”.

He said: “Four out of five dedicated cyclists want new diesel and petrol vehicles banned in less than 9 years.

“Astonishingly a neurotically militant 19 percent even want them outlawed as soon as 2021.

“With just one percent of all road journey miles made on a bicycle, it makes no sense the Government is falling even deeper under their minority yet powerful undemocratic spell.

DON’T MISS
Petrol and diesel car ban: Experts warn this may have been ‘forgotten’ [COMMENT]
Petrol and diesel car ban: ‘More needs to be done’ says expert [INSIGHT]
Government urged to put quotas on electric car sales  [ANALYSIS]

“In contrast, three out of four drivers angrily oppose Boris’s un-manifestoed 2030 fossil fuelled vehicle ban, with 56 percent of drivers saying there should not be any cliff-edge sanction at all. 

“They rationally say, let technology dictate what we drive, not the virtue signalling ill-informed political green doctrines being propelled upon our Government.”

Boris Johnson announced plans for a petrol and diesel car ban by the end of the decade under his “green industrial revolution” plan.

The plan will mean sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be phased out by 203 to accelerate the move to electric vehicles.

As part of the project, the Government will invest more than £2.8billion in electric vehicles and extra infrastructure.

The Prime Minister previously said his scheme would be “lace the land with charging points” and create “long-lasting batteries in UK gigafactories”.

However, the scheme has been met with opposition by some campaigners with electric car sales still relatively low.

Data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) shows a 162.2 percent increase in sales of battery electric vehicles this year.

But the 105,550 cars which have so far left the forecourt have only accounted for less than six percent of total UK sales.

Almost 850,000 petrol cars have been sold up to November 2020 with a further 245,000 diesel models rolling off forecourts. 

Mr Cox told Express.co.uk: “The Conservatives seem mesmerised by a very small minority of ill-informed well-financed greens, who pathologically hate the motorist.

“Why are they so hell-bent on making cars, taxis, vans, and trucks obsolescent? 

“FairFuelUK calls for a moratorium on the knee jerk plans to kill off diesel and petrol driving in 2030.” 

Source: Read Full Article