News - 07 June 2016 21:34

RAC reacts to suggestion diesel drivers may face higher taxes

RAC spokesman Simon Williams said: "Motorists and businesses will be aghast to hear the Transport Secretary hint at higher taxation levels for diesel vehicles. The present tax system has for many years favoured diesel over petrol vehicles, not least because diesel cars generally emit lower levels of CO2. Many drivers and businesses have, in good faith, invested in diesel cars for this reason. What is more, diesel drivers contributed almost £17bn in fuel duty last year and already pay some of the highest diesel prices in Europe.

"There is no doubt that action is needed to improve air quality, however by the Government's own admission this needs to be tackled at a local level. This is something clean air zones, proposed for a number of UK cities, can help address. Additionally, incentivising motorists to take up cleaner vehicles additionally is important.

"But there must also be a concerted effort to clean up older, more polluting bus and taxi fleets in towns and cities. The Government can also not ignore the fact that congestion levels can exacerbate pollution levels and must consider measures that keep traffic moving."

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The RAC provides complete peace of mind to 12m UK private and business drivers, whatever their motoring needs. Its services include:

Breakdown assistance. Its highly-skilled, 1,600-strong branded patrol workforce attends more than two million breakdowns every year, fixing on average four out of five vehicles at the roadside. The RAC’s patrol fleet is one of the most advanced in the UK, and was the first to roll out both an All-Wheels-Up recovery system, allowing the vast majority of vehicles to be recovered from a single patrol van, and EV Boost mobile electric vehicle charging units
Insurance. The RAC is a top-five car insurance broker having surpassed the 500,000 policies-in-force milestone in 2018. It also offers ‘black box’ telematics policies, as well as home and travel insurance
Other motoring services. The RAC leads in the development of new solutions for business, fleets, electric vehicles and future car technology. Its additional products and services include a personal loans offering, a used car buying website, vehicle inspections and checks, legal services or up-to-the-minute traffic and travel information. It also has a network of Approved Dealers and Approved Garages which combine the trust of RAC brand with local service and convenience

The RAC also works to support the interests of its members and UK drivers on the most important motoring issues which it identifies via the annual RAC Report on Motoring and the RAC Opinion Panel. The Report on Motoring is the longest running analysis of driver opinion in the UK having been published every year since 1989.

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