Sale of diesel cars would be banned in the UK by 2025 under the Liberal Democrats, which would also take measures to encourage uptake of electric and low emission vehicles.

 

The party’s election manifesto, launched last week, pledges to pass a Green Transport Act and introduce a new Air Quality Plan to reduce pollution. “The Government has failed time and again to comply with EU limits on pollution,” says the document.

 

The new plan would include a diesel scrappage scheme, extension of ultra low emission zones to 10 more towns and cities and a requirement for all urban private hire vehicles and diesel buses to run on clean fuels within five years.

 

The party adds that it would reform vehicle taxation to encourage sales of electric and low-emission vehicles and develop electric vehicle infrastructure including universal charging points.

 

Commenting on the manifesto Friends of the Earth campaigner Dave Timms said: “It’s great to see the Lib Dems targeting the scandal of air pollution. Too many vulnerable lives are blighted by dirty air and this manifesto contains some good measures, such as a scrappage scheme and low-emissions zones, to tackle this public health crisis.”

 

However the party has also attracted criticism from some for its policy on airports. The manifesto promises to develop a strategic airports policy for the UK, taking account of the impacts on climate change and local pollution, which would not include expansion of Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted.

 

“We will ensure no net increase in runways across the UK,” the document says. But failure to back expansion at Heathrow will, according to the Confederation of British Industry, “limit the country’s ability to remain internationally competitive”.

 

Meanwhile the party pledges to proceed with High Speed 2, HS3 and Crossrail 2 and to develop a high speed rail network stretching to Scotland.

 

It would also halt the decline of bus services and focus on delivering transport improvements for the north of England, the South West peninsula and between Oxford and Cambridge. 

 

(Photo: Jack Wilfred and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence)