奇速英语

More than ten million motorists were “cheated and misled” into buying diesel cars, the president of the AA (Automobile Association) has said. Drivers were encouraged for more than a decade to buy the cars for their fuel efficiency and environmental benefits, but they may now be hit by new taxation.

Britain is being sued by the European Commission for going against air pollution limits and diesel drivers face financial punishments.

London Mayor Boris Johnson this week announced plans to charge an extra £10 for diesel cars to drive in the capital – a measure that could be copied by up to 18 other cities.

But motoring groups have warned that charges would hit drivers who were already struggling to manage with high prices of the oil station. They could also lower the resale value of diesel vehicles. AA president Edmund King told the Daily Mail: “Many drivers will feel deeply cheated and misled because they have been encouraged over many years to take up diesel. Now instead they are being told it’s time to turn to petrol.

“Back in the 1990s, there was a strong fear of the dangers of carbon dioxide. But nobody took the trouble to look at the bigger picture. Britain’s drivers thought they were doing the right thing and were told as much by politicians and ministers. But now all of a sudden those same drivers are being told that it has serious effect on health. Motorists are being made to feel guilty for something that they were actually encouraged to do.”

The shift towards diesel came in 2001 when then Chancellor Gordon Brown adjusted vehicle excise duty to charge more for cars that give off a high level of carbon dioxide.

本时文内容由奇速英语国际教育研究院原创编写，禁止复制和任何商业用途，版权所有，侵权必究！