Thaindian News

London, Mar. 29 (ANI): The European Union has planned to ban all petrol and diesel cars by 2050, and replace them with alternatives such as electric and hydrogen powered vehicles.

Recently unveiled EU strategy states: “By 2050, key goals will include: No more conventionally fuelled cars in cities” The aim is to achieve “essentially CO2-free movement of goods in major urban centres by 2030″. It also calls for a move towards “close to zero fatalities in road transport”.

In response to the commission’s decision, UK Transport Minister Norman Baker said it is right the EU sets targets for carbon reduction but it is not right for them to get involved in how this is delivered in individual cities.

Critics branded the EU scheme a ‘fantasy’. They said it was based on untried technology and warned Britain’s rail network was already seriously overstretched, as EU chiefs also plan to shift half of all long-distance car journeys from road to rail.

According to Automobile Association President Edmund King, the reality is, by 2050, fossil fuel will be so expensive that a new approach to personal mobility will be inevitable.

However, Stephen Glaister director of the Royal Automobile Club Foundation pointed out that goals should be realistic and achievable. “Cars are already getting greener. There is little sense in demonizing one type of vehicle. What you need is for all cars to meet stringent environmental targets no matter what fuel they use,” he said.

“Promoting the use of battery-powered vehicles is no panacea if the electricity they consume has been produced by burning fossil fuels,” The Daily Express quoted Glaister, as saying.

Siim Kallas, European Commissioner for transport said the new strategy can help in breaking transport’s dependence on oil without sacrificing its efficiency and compromising mobility.

The commission denied it wanted to ban cars from city centres but said “phasing out conventional combustion engines is a realistic objective”. (ANI)