Give us the scrappage scheme, say car buyers
March 16th, 2009 by Richard Aucock
THREE out of four UK consumers want the Government to introduce a new car scrappage scheme.
The SMMT reports that 76 percent are in favour of a scheme similar to that run by Germany, which has seen new car sales boosted by more than 20 percent.
Dealers will be buoyed by findings that 61 percent would probably take up the offer, too.
A further 66 percent reckoned it was an environmentally positive move. Proposals are to offer owners of cars over nine years old a £2000 rebate against a new or nearly new car.
Their old model would be scrapped.
The SMMT survey reveals that the average new car emits nearly 15 percent less CO2 than a nine year old model. But the benefits would be far greater – as 88 percent of respondents said they’d probably use the scheme to buy a smaller car.
These models offer the greatest CO2 reduction benefits. A third of new cars registered last year fell into this category – and the typical small car emits 25 per cent less CO2 than the 1999 average!
SMMT chief Paul Everitt has been leading the calls for a scrappage scheme for months now. ‘The scrappage incentive scheme is a popular way for government to support the automotive industry, and provides good value for money for the tax payer.
How would it be financed? ‘The increased VAT revenue to government largely offsets the cost of the scheme, yet the positive impact it could have on building consumer confidence and boosting the new vehicle market are extremely valuable to the UK automotive sector, and the 800,000 people that work within it.’
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