Diesel car owners could be facing extra charges to drive in UK cities after a High Court judge ruled that government plans to meet EU air pollution target do not go far enough.
Mr Justice Garnham, sitting in London, suggested that the government should look again at its previously rejected options, which included a levy on all diesel vehicles emitting dangerous levels in “clean air zones”.
Six city-wide “clean air zones”, which would see some diesel vehicles incur extra charges to deter them from driving in them, were already in line to come into force by 2020 in Birmingham, Leeds, Southampton, Nottingham and Derby, and by 2025 in London.
Prime Minister Theresa May said: “There is more to do and we will do it.
“We have been putting extra money into actions that will relieve the issues around air quality.
“But we recognise that Defra [Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs] now has to look at the judgment that has been made by the courts and we have to look again at the proposals that we will bring forward.”
Experts predict that another ten cities are now likely to face the “pollution tax”.
Lawyer Alan Andrews, of ClientEarth said it was unlikely the government could bring pollution levels down sufficiently without targeting diesel vehicles.
He said: “They are going to have to tackle diesel cars head on.
“What they did was rule it out from day one, and said they were not going to include cars because it’s too politically unpopular.
“It’s not going to be popular, but it’s up to them to come up with other measures so drivers are not going to be hit in the pocket.”
He explained that if diesel car drivers are hit, the government may have to introduce a diesel car scrappage scheme.