Guzzlers may be targeted

NEW ZEALAND – The Government is investigating slapping higher penalties on gas guzzling vehicles to promote fuel efficiency, as motorists face a six cent a litre petrol price increase.

Oil companies last night blamed a lower Kiwi dollar for yesterday’s increase
Also yesterday, a Statistics New Zealand report reinforced that the Kiwi love affair with cars is making the situation worse. Filling the car with petrol is the single biggest contributor to New Zealand’s growing energy demands, with households the largest energy consumers in the country, it says.

Meanwhile, the Transport Ministry has confirmed it is investigating a Green Party proposal to link car registration charges with fuel efficiency as occurs in Europe. Such an initiative is used in France, where car taxes are graduated according to engine size, while in Britain charges are based on vehicles’ CO? emissions per mile.

Manawatu Standard