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Strangled by red tape
Page 8
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Barry Proctor decided to do his bit for the environment by fitting his new Scania with a continuously regenerating trap. The technology works fine — which is more than be said for the financial incentive.
The invisible particles that diesel engines pump out are a cause, at the very least, of asthma and a host of other respiratory complaints. Not much fun if you're a relatively healthy adult who can't breathe properly any more, even less fun if you're an eighty-year-old pensioner who can no longer breathe without the aid of an oxygen mask. So with that in mind when it was time to buy a new truck this year we decided, in the interest of saving the planet, to have an Eminox CRT fitted to our latest Scania. Aside from the obvious social and environmental benefits (making a clean engine cleaner still) it meant that we could gain a Reduced Pollution Certificate (RPC) for the truck and save GOO on our VED for the year. On top of which the government pays 75% of the CRT's cost so that's us quids in or at least that's what thought.
Eminox and our Scania dealer both held up their end of the bargain, but the rigmarole from the government is unbelievable. We turned up at the test station to obtain the RPC, to be told that we couldn't do anything without the vehicle being taxed. But to tax it at the correct rate we'd need the RPC... We sorted this and tried again, to be told we needed the log book (still in the DVLA's grubby paws). Four weeks later we were back, log book and tax disc in place, and finally obtained the blessed RPC. So, having shelled out full whack on the VED, we approached our nearest tax office for our rebate. Off went the forms. A week later a letter came back saying they needed the current tax disc... which it's an offence to remove from the truck without it being parked up.
This government and official incompetence serves only to put off operators like myself from actually doing our bit until someone in authority makes it easier for us to help the environment we just won't bother. I know that sounds awful but it's the sad truth.
Of course, given that our latest fuel duty rise is billed as a tax on pollution, perhaps Gordon Brown is helping us save the planet regardless...