Environment concerns: France planning to ban diesel cars from 2015

Paris, Dec 3: France, where more than 80 per cent of cars are powered by diesel engines, is planning to impose a ban on diesel cars from 2015, says a NDTV report. This is part of an effort to safeguard environment.

The report says that France's Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, is planning to 'progressively' ban diesel cars from 2015 as part of a broader effort to protect environment.

Next year, the French government will start a car identification system to rate vehicles according to the amount of pollution they produce. Thereby, the government will identify the cars producing most pollution and limit their city access.

Valls said that although France has long favoured the diesel engine, it needs to be undone as they cause more atmospheric pollution. Earlier this year, France's Energy Minister, Segolene Royal, had announced that the government will give a bonus of up to 10,000 euros to those willing to ditch diesel cars for electric ones.

The PM also said that the government will adopt a change in taxation policy to motivate citizens to opt for more ecological choices.

France's 2015 budget might reduce the tax advantage gap between diesel and petrol.

Currently, in France diesel is 15 per cent cheaper than petrol, which prompted many people to prefer diesel to petrol.

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