This stern step is to curb the rising levels of nitrogen oxide in the air quality index





The United Kingdom (UK) has been grabbing the headlines for different reasons in the recent past. One of the biggest eye openers was when the citizens of the European country voted in favour of Brexit, supporting the country’s leaders to move out of the European Union (EU). While the transition period for Brexit will take a while to process completely, the country has now announced that it will ban the sale of all petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles (cars and vans) from 2040. This move comes less than a month after UK’s neighbouring country, France, announced that it will ban the sale of petrol and diesel vehicles from 2040.





Unsurprisingly, this decision to ban the sale of any sort of car or van which has an internal combustion engine is to curb the rising levels of nitrogen oxide in the air quality index. This, along with several other carbon-based gases, is impacting people’s health and in one recent year, it was tagged as the primary reason for the loss of productivity worth 2.7 billion GBP (Rs 2,275 crore). Ministers have been urged to introduce charges for vehicles to enter a series of “clear air zones” (CAZ). However, the UK government only wants taxes to be considered as a last resort, fearing a backlash against any move that penalises motorists.



Both UK and France are actually trying to catch up with another European nation, Norway. The Scandinavian country has the highest penetration of electric vehicle sales in the entire world and has set itself a target of selling 100 per cent electric or plug-in hybrids by 2025.





The central government of India got everyone’s attention when it announced a super-ambitious plan of 100 per cent electric transportation throughout the country by 2030. That does sound far-fetched even if we only consider the size of our country in comparison to that of France or UK. On top of that, if we are trying to improve our air quality, why are hybrids being burdened with more tax than a normal gas guzzler? It surely is a strange world we live in!



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