5:40 pm, March 18, 2009
HOW long do you think it will take for the government to introduce the much mooted scrappage scheme everyone is talking about?
Days? Weeks? Months? It can’t be far off. The RMIF came out today calling for it to be hurried through following questions in Parliament yesterday.
And I think the longer they leave it the more damage it will do. Buyers don’t need anything else to put them off buying a car – especially not at the moment.
There’s enough uncertainty around the economy and jobs, the last thing we need is the government dragging its heels on this scrappage scheme.
Like the cut in VAT, if car buyers think that it might happen they’re going to delay holding off buying a car anyway.
A straw poll in the coffee shop this morning proved the point – the owners want a new Fiat 500 but have been delaying just in case this scheme comes into force.
How gutted would they be if they could have saved £2,000 by chopping in their smokey diesel instead of the £500 they were offered in part ex?
I was chatting to deputy editor Rich about this today. He reckons that at the very latest the scrappage scheme will be in place by the Budget in April. And he added he wouldn’t be surprised if it was sooner.
I’m inclined to agree. One car manufacturer executive told us at the Geneva Motor Show that the last thing the industry needed was Mandelson and Co holding off on a decision/announcement – if they were going to do it they need to do it now.
The SMMT want it, the RMIF want it – and most of all dealers and the car buying public want it. So come on Number 10 – just get on with it!
It fits their green agenda, boosts the UK economy and will provide a much-needed lift to the beleaguered car industry – if ever there was a vote winner it was this.
We wait, with fingers crossed, that it comes soon…
James
Car buyers want scrappage scheme
Kia calls for scrappage scheme
