Pollution probe to help FTA push for tax breaks
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• The FTA is investigating how many trucks cause pollution as part of its campaign for tax breaks to hauliers who invest in new vehicles.
The Euro-1 emissions directive, like the more stringent Euro-2 which comes into force next year, only applies to new vehicles. This has encouraged some operators to hang on to older, less efficient trucks.
The FTA wants to exploit Transport Secretary Dr Brian Mawhinney's tougher stance on vehicle emissions to lever in tax breaks and higher capital allowances for operators who invest in newer, cleaner trucks. The results of the research are likely to be presented to the Government in August in time for November's Budget.
"We want to analyse the vehicle statistics and compare them with technology to see what percentage of vehicles are causing the pollution," says FTA's spokesman Geoff Dossetter.
Launching the campaign, FTA president Angus Clark told a meeting of the East Midlands division that tax breaks are tangible incentives for operators to switch to greener, more efficient engines.