Car scrappage scheme ends later this month

• Mar. 7 by Lakhjit Lotay (1)

Birmingham car dealers will mourn the loss of the car scrappage scheme that residents used to scrap their old vehicles for new and more environmentally friendly models.

The scheme ends later this month and it gives car drivers £2000 off a new vehicle, which will have lower carbon dioxide emissions (CO2), if they trade in a car that is over ten years old.

The scheme launched in May and was funded by the government with 38 different car manufactures around the U.K taking part.

Car dealers in the Midlands claim that the scheme was popular with the vast amount of motorist and the BBC state that the initiative was responsible for about a fifth of all new car registrations since its introduction.

Generally local car dealers state that they understand why the government are axing it, but  they feel that it is a scheme which should keep being funded for reasons ranging from the environment to increased trade.

Solihull Audi marketing manager Steve Thorpe said:

‘Here at Audi we backed the scrappage scheme and we sold a lot of cars, so we will be disappointed to see the scheme come to an end and most defiantly we would very much like the government to continue it.

To scrap a car was something I most urged to customers as it was an opportunity people should have defiantly grasped, there is not many products where the government will put hands in their own pocket and help me buy a car.

Older cars do start to burn more oil and co2 emission is higher so from an ecological position its kind to the environment.’

Tyseley Fiat car dealer Damien Yates said:

‘To get £2,000 for your old car is a good offer as the customer gets the privilege of walking away with the money to put towards gaining something fresher, with no dealt at all this scheme had a very positive impact.

Hopefully one day the opportunity to continue the scheme will come back as it was a good positive feature to have, furthermore to this it won’t help the environment either as they will lose out too.’