Liberal Democrats propose to ban petrol and diesel cars from UK roads within three decades
THE Liberal Democrats have proposed to ban all petrol and diesel cars from 2040, only allowing low-carbon vehicles on the roads within 30 years.
The radical plans from Nick Clegg's party would means millions of cars banned with only electric and low carbon vehicles allowed on the road.
The Lib Dem proposals, released yesterday ahed of the party's national conference, would still allow petrol and diesel vehicles for freight purposes.
The policy document reads: "By 2040, only ultra-low carbon vehicles will be permitted on UK roads for non-freight purposes. "
A party spokesman said the proposals are still to be debated at the Lib Dem conference in Glasgow and may not become party policy yet.
A Liberal Democrat spokesperson said: "The Liberal Democrats have always been the most radical and ambitious of the mainstream parties when it comes to tackling climate change and creating green jobs.
"The green industry is one of the biggest growing sectors in the world and we want Britain to be at the forefront of it, creating thousands of skilled jobs and creating the technologies of the future."
The policy document, entitled Green Growth and Green Jobs: Transition to a Zero Carbon Britain, also suggests a system of road pricing.
The Lib Dems say the pricing would be adopted in congested areas and motorists would face charges only for the journeys them make.
Paul Wattters, Heads of Roads Policy at AA, said the road pricing system was the 'sting in the tail' of the Lib Dem proposals.
He said: "Drivers will not like pricing because it will mean big brother watching you wherever you go and if you get stuck on a busy road you will be charged.
"Not only can we not use the cars we choose to drive we would be paying to use them.
"And that always sends shudders through people's motoring nightmares."
Mr Watters added that by 2040 there will be plenty of petrol and diesel cars in the UK and condemning them to the scraphead is not necessarily the best solution.
He said the main issue was not the smaller cars but larger lorries and freight vehicles which are exempt from the proposals.
Some of the lorries guzzle just six miles per gallon of fuel.
Mr Watters added: "It would be better for those petrol and diesel cars to become extinct than be made extinct.
"We think it will be evolution not revolution that see the low CO2 cars seize the market and they are coming along."