The car scrap scheme that has been mooted for months by government ministers today came into effect in the Budget. A similar scheme was introduced earlier this year in Germany, and resulted in a 40% increase in car sales, compared to a 30% downturn in the UK. Had ministers not acted, the scrappage scheme might have arrived in the UK through the back door anyway, with Citroen already offering £2000 back for cars that qualified for their scrappage scheme, However, key car industry commentators are worried about the potential impact of the car scrap scheme.
For RAC Foundation Director Professor Stephen Glaister, the scheme could have some good, and some bad effects, speaking to BBC News he said - "If the scheme leads to a reduction in the average age of the national car fleet then this has to be good for road safety as more modern cars will have a wider range of safety features built in.". However, on the negative side he said : "Currently the vast majority of cars are still on the road at 10 years old. Indeed at 14 years old, half are still on the road. The car scrappage scheme announced today risks consigning a lot of perfectly good, and relatively clean, vehicles to the dustbin.". The environmental impact of this scheme may create future problems that we are as yet unaware of - what will happen to the cars that are sent to the scrap yards ?
BVRLA chief executive John Lewis also held concerns for the used car industry in the UK : "Unfortunately, our ministers have chosen to follow the German model, which has been widely criticised for decimating the country's used car industry." - Mr Lewis predicts that companies will hold onto cars for longer, rather than selling them cheaply. Spare car parts suppliers and garages could also suffer from a fall in demand resulting from the mass-removal of old cars from the market, as the population of cars in the country becomes younger.
This report compiled by Find a Part - Car Parts Search Specialists Since 1978.
For RAC Foundation Director Professor Stephen Glaister, the scheme could have some good, and some bad effects, speaking to BBC News he said - "If the scheme leads to a reduction in the average age of the national car fleet then this has to be good for road safety as more modern cars will have a wider range of safety features built in.". However, on the negative side he said : "Currently the vast majority of cars are still on the road at 10 years old. Indeed at 14 years old, half are still on the road. The car scrappage scheme announced today risks consigning a lot of perfectly good, and relatively clean, vehicles to the dustbin.". The environmental impact of this scheme may create future problems that we are as yet unaware of - what will happen to the cars that are sent to the scrap yards ?
BVRLA chief executive John Lewis also held concerns for the used car industry in the UK : "Unfortunately, our ministers have chosen to follow the German model, which has been widely criticised for decimating the country's used car industry." - Mr Lewis predicts that companies will hold onto cars for longer, rather than selling them cheaply. Spare car parts suppliers and garages could also suffer from a fall in demand resulting from the mass-removal of old cars from the market, as the population of cars in the country becomes younger.
This report compiled by Find a Part - Car Parts Search Specialists Since 1978.
