LPG to improve UK's air quality

© Autogas Ltd.There are currently approx. 150 thousand motorists using LPG autogas in the UK. While it's a few, it's still few

A report titled A low carbon alternative fuel for today was issued, in which there is a list of things that, according to British LP gas industry representatives, could and should be done by David Cameron's cabinet to facilitate improvement of UK's air quality. Especially that the country has been fined by the European Union for not doing enough in that respect. What exactly does the propane/buthane sector have in mind?

First and foremost, an integrated road fuels strategy (including autogas) should be introduced in place of the current individual strategies. This would help establish a partnership between the LPG sector, car manufacturers and policy makers, enabling them to and act together effectively in addressing issues such as air quality. What else? The industry suggests the following:

• introducing incentive schemes to remove the "dirtiest” cars from the roads (optimally through conversion to autogas);
• providing wider support for local authorities to convert their fleets to cleaner fuels;
• reviewing wider incentives for motor fuels through working with local authorities and the Mayor of London;
• ensuring greater consultation with government departments;
• giving air pollution the same level of priority as addressing climate change.

LPG autogas is an established and proven solution in helping address environmental and health issues and we look forward to working even more closely with Government to encourage its greater take-up by UK motorists.

Linda Gomersall, general manager, Autogas

We sincerely hope the British government will take the idea seriously and will at least consider bringing some – if not all – of the suggested solutions to life in near future. Retreating from diesel fuel is becoming a Europe-wide tendency and it's already becoming visible in some UK cities, so chances are the ideas put forward by the LPG industry will come to fruition. Not just for that industry's, but for everybody's sake.