Green car tax 'suspicous'

Johannesburg - Proposals for energy levies on fuel-guzzling cars signify a welcome greater responsiveness to the climate-change debate, but need reworking, said the Democratic Alliance on Sunday.

"First, given that almost all cars will be taxed, and not even the most-efficient cars will benefit from the proposals, it is hard not to be suspicious that this is simply another money-making plan," said DA spokesperson Hendrik Schmidt.

The department of minerals and energy made the fuel-efficiency proposals, which would tax cars on the basis of kilowatt output.

"Kilowatt output is not necessarily the best measure of damage to the environment because there are a number of cars on our roads with a high kilowatt output, but that have highly efficient engines and use little fuel," said Schmidt.

What about diesel engines?

He said a blanket tax would be imposed on sports utility vehicles (SUV) without recognising enormous variations in fuel efficiency between different models.

"Diesel engines are also lighter on fuel, but there are no indications of how these will be treated.

"It may be more appropriate to use engine capacity or fuel consumption as a more direct measure of damage done to the environment."

Schmidt said the proposals appeared to take no account of the different purposes for which vehicles were used.

"For example, commercial vehicles, which need higher engine capacity to carry heavy loads, will be punished on the same basis as luxury SUVs whose engine capacity is used for more-frivolous purposes."

The department needed to rather look at a subsidy system whereby "clean" cars were subsidised through levies on more energy-hungry cars, with the ultimate financial gain to the department being neutral, he said.

Not many alternatives to cars

The proposals should take a more-sophisticated approach by recognising different categories of efficiency within different classes of car, and subsidise or tax them appropriately.

"Until a comprehensive and efficient public transport system is in place, most people have no alternative to cars.

"The government cannot use the threat of climate change for its own fund-raising purposes when it makes no alternatives available to vehicle users."

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He said a blanket tax would be imposed on sports utility vehicles (SUV) without recognising enormous variations in fuel efficiency between different models.

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The government cannot use the threat of climate change for its own fund-raising purposes when it makes no alternatives available to vehicle users.

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The department needed to rather look at a subsidy system whereby "clean" cars were subsidised through levies on more energy-hungry cars

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most people have no alternative to cars

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Koos Custodiet said:

The "clean" cars hopefully not being the electric jobbies which just transfer the pollution to Kortbroek's new coal fired power station somewhere around Witbank...

Koos

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BlueCollar said:

Actually even coal fuelled power stations are more efficient than internal combustion engines found in cars.

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