Cash for old cars (Exeter Liberal Democrats)

Exeter Liberal Democrats <info@exeterlibdems.org.uk>

Cash for old cars

January 28, 2009 9:00 AM

We can save the car industry and the planet according to Exeter's Liberal Democrat PPC Graham Oakes.

He today called on the government to follow the example of the Germans, who in turn had copied the French, in offering cash for old cars. The German scheme covers vehicles 9 years an older.

"The car industry do not want loans from the government, they want people to buy their cars. If the government"

Graham Oakes was returning to an issue he highlighted on 19th October last year when he said "I'm concerned that this (new vehicle emission related excise) will particularly affect poorer people who are more likely to have older, more polluting cars. We should consider the approach adopted by France in the 1980s when they paid people approximately £500 when they scrapped their cars. This solved the problem of old, dangerous cars on the French roads. A similar scheme in the UK would help people to get a newer and therefore, hopefully, less polluting car."

"By giving the money to trade-in old cars we could improve road safety, reduce vehicle emissions and help the car industry, thus saving thousands of jobs."

"It makes sense for the environment and for the exchequer as the scheme will be cheaper than giving money to car companies and paying dole money to thousands of unemployed car workers."

Will the government act to save jobs and the planet?