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Help lost for greener trucks
Page 8
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Dperators who want to run environmentally friendly trucks may have to do so Nithout government assistance. Jennifer Ball reports.
GOVERNMENT PLANS to cut ;reen truck grants until the Euroaeon Commission approves its aroposals will dissuade operators from running cleaner vehicles. iccording to industry bosses.
From 1 April no Energy Saving Trust grants will be released withput EC approval, even though :here have been no complaints Against the UK's grant structure. The Freight Transport AssociaIon has blasted the move saying it will lead to few applications for ACW conversion grants and a Jecline in the number of natural as vehicles. EC rules will only Allow grants of up to 30% of the idditional cost of low-emission vehicles compared with the current ceiling of 75%.
EC rules also prevent operators from receiving grants to meet "legislative emission standards" such as council-imposed Low Emission Zones. And grants for new HGVs would only apply to those meeting the Euro-5 emission standard.
PTA engineering policy manager Geoff Day says: "Those companies who have made conversions are likely to feel betrayed and confused by the change of government policy. I now see little future for natural gas vehicles." Bill Leverett, deputy-director of the Environmental Industries Commission (EIC), which represents companies that develop pollution control technologies, agrees: "The grants were set up to clean up older vehicles, which many operators continue to run but which get dirtier with age. Without the grants the government shows no long-term commitment to the programme."
A Department for Transport spokeswoman says it will honour all the current certificates until 31 March: "After this there will be a new scheme in place. We have already announced renewed £24m of funding for Transport Energy programmes."