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FOLDING STUFF CLEARS THE AIR
Page 7
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e need to "improve the quality of service and that includes removing some of the poor quality vehicles;the beichers', that are part of the urban landscape." In saying this, Transport Minister Steven Norris has at last walked headlong into one of the biggest stumbling blocks to improving air quality in urban areas—old buses. Judging by his comments in the Sunday Telegraph fast week, the Government is now having second thoughts about what's coming out of bus deregulation—and bus exhaust pipes too. It's looking at new restrictions for bus operators which would require them to operate low-pollution vehicles powered by either electricity or "green" diesel. Not before time, either. The average age of the UK bus fleet is 12 years and the average time in service is 15. But the real choker (perhaps literally) is the fact that by the time Euro-3 emissions limits come into force in 1999 only 12% of the UK bus parc will even have Euro-1 enginesl espite the rhetoric, the Government's record on encouraging green transport—whether of freight or people is pitiful. Rest assured the free market loving road transport industry is not about to embrace cleaner vehicles before it has to. Why? Because there's no money in it. The man on the Clapham omnibus isn't going to give up his seat just because it isn't green.
lithe Government wants eco-friendly transport ahead of legislation then it will have to pay for it. Holland and Germany have both offered grants for higher-priced Euro-2 engines in trucks ahead of the October 1996 legislative deadline. Why hasn't HM Government? There's no point it trying to encourage operator interest in alternative fuels such as compressed natural gas if there aren't the necessary grants and tax breaks For it. The same goes for low-sulphur diesel—assuming you can get hold of it in any quantity
1905-1995
,A.WvERSARS
in the UK. It's time the fuel companies came to the party too by investing in greater low sulphur production so that green diesel is available on every forecourt in the country. Without extra outside funding most British truck or bus operators will pay for no more than the minimum for green transport.
Unfortunately, as long as it's the Treasury that sets the environmental agenda for road transport, rather than the DOT, nothing is likely to change.