The anti-scrappage scheme

After yesterday's angry post about the damage caused by the scrappage scheme, I started thinking about a way to make amends so here I present my anti-scrappage scheme that rewards drivers for keeping their old cars on the road. After all, continuing to run an older car that was built over a decade ago and has long since had the environmental damage caused by its manufacture offset has got to be greener than scrapping it and buying a new one.

The scrappage scam and why it still makes me angry

The Labour government's vehicle scrappage scheme was certainly one of the most controversial recent developments affecting the British motor industry and rightfully provoked a massive outcry. Basically, between May 2009 and March 2010, anyone could trade in any car over 10 years old that had a valid MoT and had been owned for at least 12 months against a new one, and the government and the manufacturer of the new car would each contribute £1000 off the list price in return for scrapping the old one. This was very cynically justified on environmental grounds as removing old and polluting cars from the road, but in reality that was an obvious smokescreen and the real aim was to stimulate the car sales industry that had suffered a massive decline. It may be almost five years since the scheme ended but even now the sheer amount of unnecessary waste and destruction it caused and the fact those responsible were allowed to get away with it still enrages me. In fact I would go as far as to say the scrappage scheme was nothing short of a crime against the environment and the British public, and the people responsible for its creation should be punished with criminal charges.