Green Action
For many people, cars are a necessity and cannot be replaced by public transport. But everyone could help cause less damage to the environment by using fuel alternatives or just less fuel.
We believe there should be incentives and other measures to encourage
responsible fuel use and greater use of public transport to cut road
use.
Cars
We would begin by reforming the system for taxing cars, to abolish
Vehicle Excise Duty for vehicles that pollute least, increasing it for vehicles
that pollute most. Research from the Energy Savings Trust
shows a top rate of £2,000 would help change behaviour and cut CO2
emissions. We would increase the top rate of vehicle
excise duty from £215 to £2,000 a year for the most polluting new
vehicles. People buying the most polluting cars must
recognise the environmental cost.
In sparsely populated rural areas lacking public transport, cars are
essential. For these rural households we propose introducing
a 50 per cent discount on all but the top rate of vehicle excise duty, for one
registered car.
In the longer term we would scrap vehicle and petrol duties altogether,
replacing them with a national road user charging system based on location,
congestion and pollution. This is the principle that ‘the
polluter pays’.
Congestion
We would encourage towns and cities to consider introducing
congestion charges where traffic is a problem. The money
would be invested in better public transport and we would not
proceed with major new road-building schemes without an environmental
assessment. And we would promote safer cycle and pedestrian
routes throughout towns and cities.
Rail
We would develop rail freight interchanges to encourage growth in rail
freight and reduce lorry loads on the road.
Planes
To discourage using half-empty planes we would tax airlines for
each aircraft they fly rather than each passenger they carry.
When approaching this issue it has been important to
find a delicate balance between promoting this important part of our economy and
ensuring the industry takes full responsibility for its impact on the
environment. With this in mind, we have opposed expanding a
number of airports, particularly in the South of England. We
seek instead to maximise the use of current capacity. Such
policies may be opposed by elements of the industry, but are consistent with our
environmental commitments.
Cycles
We are committed to full integration between all modes of transport,
including cycling and walking. We will promote a
comprehensive ‘national strategy for cycling’ and would encourage the growth of
cycling for work, and as a sports and leisure activity.
