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| Diesel cars face £10 charge for driving into central London' | Diesel cars face £10 charge for driving into central London' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Plans to charge drivers of diesel cars about £10 to drive into central London are being considered. | Plans to charge drivers of diesel cars about £10 to drive into central London are being considered. |
| The levy would be on top of the current £11.50 congestion charge for driving into the centre of the capital. | The levy would be on top of the current £11.50 congestion charge for driving into the centre of the capital. |
| London Mayor Boris Johnson wants the new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to be introduced by 2020. | London Mayor Boris Johnson wants the new Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to be introduced by 2020. |
| The Times newspaper says he will lobby the government to increase vehicle excise duty on diesel cars to encourage motorists to move to cleaner vehicles. | The Times newspaper says he will lobby the government to increase vehicle excise duty on diesel cars to encourage motorists to move to cleaner vehicles. |
| Only diesel vehicles meeting the Euro 6 emissions standard will be exempt, while petrol cars registered before 2006 will also have to pay. | Only diesel vehicles meeting the Euro 6 emissions standard will be exempt, while petrol cars registered before 2006 will also have to pay. |
| All new cars sold from 1 January 2015 must meet the Euro 6 emissions standard, a stringent European Union directive to cut exhaust pollutants which targets a cut in nitrogen dioxide, seen as an air pollutant. | All new cars sold from 1 January 2015 must meet the Euro 6 emissions standard, a stringent European Union directive to cut exhaust pollutants which targets a cut in nitrogen dioxide, seen as an air pollutant. |
| A spokesman for the mayor said the plans will be subject to a full consultation and any levy on cars not meeting the Euro 6 emissions standard would be "likely to be a similar amount to the congestion charge". | A spokesman for the mayor said the plans will be subject to a full consultation and any levy on cars not meeting the Euro 6 emissions standard would be "likely to be a similar amount to the congestion charge". |
| The mayor's environment adviser, Matthew Pencharz, said: "Over recent years the Euro diesel engine standards have not delivered the emission savings expected, yet governments have been incentivising us to buy them. | The mayor's environment adviser, Matthew Pencharz, said: "Over recent years the Euro diesel engine standards have not delivered the emission savings expected, yet governments have been incentivising us to buy them. |
| "This has left us with a generation of dirty diesels." | "This has left us with a generation of dirty diesels." |
| Correspondent analysis | |
| Matt McGrath, BBC News Environment correspondent | |
| Many politicians argue that the root cause of London's poor air quality is Europe. | |
| EU attempts to improve diesel engines in cars have focused on reducing carbon dioxide, but emissions of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) weren't restricted. | |
| Many governments, not just in Britain, gave incentives to motorists to turn to diesel as a way of meeting EU climate change targets. So NO2 levels soared. | |
| Mayor Boris Johnson will give more details about his plans to curb emissions of nitrogen dioxide in a speech to mark 60 years since the first London-specific Clean Air Act was passed, stopping the burning of coal in some areas of the city. | |
| Campaigners now believe the mayor should take a note of the history and announce a complete ban on the dirtiest diesels. | |
| The RAC foundation has said incentives, such as putting diesel cars in lower vehicle excise duty bands, was to blame. | The RAC foundation has said incentives, such as putting diesel cars in lower vehicle excise duty bands, was to blame. |
| Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "This isn't quite a mis-selling scandal, but for years ministers took their eye off the ball and encouraged drivers to buy diesels to help fight climate change. | Foundation director Professor Stephen Glaister said: "This isn't quite a mis-selling scandal, but for years ministers took their eye off the ball and encouraged drivers to buy diesels to help fight climate change. |
| "That has come at a cost: local air pollution. Today 10 million cars in Britain are powered by diesel engines - a third of the total. | "That has come at a cost: local air pollution. Today 10 million cars in Britain are powered by diesel engines - a third of the total. |
| "Part of the problem is regulation. In laboratory conditions diesel cars have met strict test criteria. Unfortunately that performance hasn't been matched on the road and now we have a significant health issue because of the dash for diesel." | "Part of the problem is regulation. In laboratory conditions diesel cars have met strict test criteria. Unfortunately that performance hasn't been matched on the road and now we have a significant health issue because of the dash for diesel." |
| The initiatives are being considered to help meet European regulations on clean air and avoid the threat of heavy fines for breaching them. | The initiatives are being considered to help meet European regulations on clean air and avoid the threat of heavy fines for breaching them. |
| 'Backward step' | 'Backward step' |
| But AA president Edmund King said the vehicles with the most impact on air quality were buses, taxis and trucks. | But AA president Edmund King said the vehicles with the most impact on air quality were buses, taxis and trucks. |
| "Very few cars enter central London so these measures will have more effect on the growing numbers of small businesses and service vehicles on whom London's economy relies. | "Very few cars enter central London so these measures will have more effect on the growing numbers of small businesses and service vehicles on whom London's economy relies. |
| "They will have to plan ahead to change their vehicles if they are to stay in business." | "They will have to plan ahead to change their vehicles if they are to stay in business." |
| Simon Birkett, from Clean Air in London, said: "In February last year Boris was planning to ban older diesel vehicles from the congestion charging area from 2020. | Simon Birkett, from Clean Air in London, said: "In February last year Boris was planning to ban older diesel vehicles from the congestion charging area from 2020. |
| "What he's now announcing is a backward step. It will be a charge for some diesel vehicles 10 years after a city like Berlin actually banned the oldest diesels. | "What he's now announcing is a backward step. It will be a charge for some diesel vehicles 10 years after a city like Berlin actually banned the oldest diesels. |
| "It's like allowing rich people to pay ten quid a day to smoke cigars in pubs and schools." | "It's like allowing rich people to pay ten quid a day to smoke cigars in pubs and schools." |
| The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that unless action was taken, London, Birmingham and Leeds would face dangerous levels of pollution from vehicle exhausts by 2030. | The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said that unless action was taken, London, Birmingham and Leeds would face dangerous levels of pollution from vehicle exhausts by 2030. |
| Government figures show long-term exposure to air pollution contributed to more than 28,000 deaths across the UK in 2010. | Government figures show long-term exposure to air pollution contributed to more than 28,000 deaths across the UK in 2010. |
| And in February, it was reported that pollution near Buckingham Palace was the worst in the UK and almost four times the EU legal limit. | And in February, it was reported that pollution near Buckingham Palace was the worst in the UK and almost four times the EU legal limit. |
| Jenny Jones, from the Green Party on the London Assembly, told BBC London 94.9: "I back Boris on this but he is making a lot of promises that a future mayor will have to implement. | Jenny Jones, from the Green Party on the London Assembly, told BBC London 94.9: "I back Boris on this but he is making a lot of promises that a future mayor will have to implement. |
| "He should show some political bravery and bring the Ultra Low Emission Zone forward - what is he waiting for?" | "He should show some political bravery and bring the Ultra Low Emission Zone forward - what is he waiting for?" |