In a speech on 20 September, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a number of controversial revisions to the Government’s planned measures to reduce carbon emissions, including moving the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars back from 2030 to 2035, among other measures. Industry responses included from the CPT; CEO Graham Vidler said: “The announcement from the Prime Minister reflects a Government that is grappling with delivering net zero during a cost of living crisis. Buses and coaches offer an affordable and sustainable solution. A helpful step which we can all take, is to swap car journeys to bus and coach.”
Meanwhile the RHA commented: “We seek urgent clarity from government on what today’s announcement means for the future of HGVs and coaches. Businesses looking to play their part on the road to net zero need certainty, not delays.
“Government needs to collaborate with industry to come up with a detailed plan that provides certainty for investment, drives innovation, and directs support for those who want to do the right thing. This is the only way to bring down costs and encourage companies to make the switch to net zero in the long term. Simply changing deadlines without a clear plan in place will do neither.
“We will continue to seek the clarity and certainty our industry urgently needs to bring costs down.”