‘Ditching diesel is a no-brainer’ as car ownership rates drop for fifth year

New data from the Department for Transport found that private ownership of diesel cars in London plummeted by 57,103 vehicles from 560,103 in 2022.

This follows a record decline in 2021, with more than 100,000 fewer diesel cars on London’s roads than the previous year – a drop of 16 percent.

Since 2018, research has shown that the total number of diesel cars in the capital has declined every year.

A number of strategies have been introduced in an attempt to reduce the amount of emissions which are released by diesel vehicles.

Diesel vehicles were responsible for around 40 percent of harmful nitrogen oxide emissions (NOx) in 2019.

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Earlier this week, Clean Air Day saw campaigners launch a new campaign calling for London to ditch diesel once and for all to protect people in the capital.

Jemima Hartshorn, founder of Mums for Lungs, said: “We know diesel cars are both toxic to our health and inefficient in large cities; there is no need to own a diesel car in London in 2023. 

“The 2030 ban on diesel sales is still several years away, and we cannot sit by until then as new diesel cars are introduced to London’s roads that will ultimately stay on our roads for decades to come, inflaming our children’s lungs and intensifying lifelong health conditions like asthma.”

The campaign is calling on the national Government, Greater London Assembly and London Boroughs to create a diesel-free city and introduce incentives to those choosing less-polluting forms of transport.

Some local authorities are already making moves to phase out diesel vehicles, including Lambeth Council which has introduced emissions-based parking.

This would see those who own the most polluting vehicles charged extra to park, with any revenue from parking permits being invested into public transport and environmental causes.

Oliver Lord, head of strategy at the Clean Cities Campaign, said that diesel vehicles had been “ruining lives” and that people won’t breathe freely until polluting vehicles are off the roads.

He added: “The scale of the challenge means we can’t ditch diesel overnight but let’s absolutely start planning now so that individuals and businesses have the certainty and time they need to act. 

“We want a commitment from all levels of Government that our lungs will be free of dirty diesel fumes by 2030, coupled with the support to make that happen.”

It is estimated that air pollution costs the NHS over £20billion across the UK, and can contribute to around 36,000 premature deaths each year.

The new campaign is also calling on the Government to support individuals and organisations to transition away from diesel, through incentives and bringing more clean alternatives to the market.

Jonathan Hudson, a cardiology registrar at Kingston University Hospital NHS Trust, concluded: “Ditching diesel in London is a no-brainer to improve everyone’s health and reduce the burden on our NHS.”