ES Views: Petrol and diesel car ban is welcome and overdue

I welcome the Government’s offensive against petrol and diesel vehicles [“Britain to ban sale of all diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040”, July 26].

It does seem rather long-sighted when you think of the people who are dying from the effects of pollution now. However, it will save the Government money in scrappage deals and allow time for electric technology to be developed, so that we are not rushed into another potentially deadly decision, as we were with diesel.

All of us who live in London have already been made aware of the visible horror of pollution when we clean the outside of our homes but it is the invisible killer particulates that are really sinister.

Perhaps we should add a dye to our fuel, so that the invisible becomes visible as it leaves our car exhausts? That way, we can see this threat for what it is.
John Ridley

While a ban on diesel and petrol cars is a welcome idea in theory, it has a number of flaws.

How, for example, can the Government ensure that everyone complies with this rule? Halting production is one thing but it is an impossible task to decommission millions of cars in the UK.

Of course those who have used Uber will know that their electric cars are really no different to fuel-based vehicles in terms of how they run. However, the image of people queuing up to charge their cars at stations seems impractical, even 23 years from now.

That’s not to say the Government shouldn’t be commended for committing to drastic and bold action, even if it is a replica of French president Emmanuel Macron’s policy. With so many lives being lost because of air pollution, we needed more than just a few emission zone charges.
Barry Taylor

While the proposed ban on diesel and petrol cars from 2040 is a laudable ambition, we can’t afford to wait 23 years for action. If the Government is waiting for changes more than two decades away, we all need to do our bit today to address the air quality issues we are experiencing right now — and sharing car journeys will go a long way to helping reduce emissions.
Richard Laughton, CEO, easyCar Pool

When John Prescott was Transport Minister under Tony Blair, he imposed the same level of tax on bio diesel as on ordinary diesel, a move that killed the bio diesel industry.

If this was removed maybe businesses producing this fuel might start up again? Bio diesel does not pollute as much as ordinary diesel as it does not contain all the same particulates. Would this solve our air pollution problem?
Nigel F Boddy

Train firms must act to stop litter

I could not agree more with Lydia Tapping’s comments on littering in London [Letters, July 24]. As someone who has to get on numerous trains in my daily commute, I am constantly staggered by people’s attitude to littering which is undoubtedly getting progressively worse.

I have witnessed people eating on a busy train who think it is acceptable to leave their rubbish strewn all over the seats for the next train passenger to deal with. I constantly find myself asking people to take their rubbish with them which, more often than not, is met with a surprised expression or abusive response.

I have written to train companies on numerous occasions asking for them to increase the signs regarding littering and to make people responsible for getting rid of their litter. Unfortunately, this issue seems to be way down the pecking order.

With the price of rail tickets outpacing inflation, surely the train companies have a duty of care to make the journeys better? In reality, only they can make the litter issue better on board.
B Lewis

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Give working visas that attract nurses

Why is no mention ever made about the thousands of brilliant nurses from Commonwealth countries who staffed our hospitals in the Eighties and Nineties?

Most of these professionals were forced to return home when their two-year visas ran out. They were replaced by nurses from the EU, many of whom struggled with working English for quite some time.

If there are sensible working visas that encourage medical and nursing staff to come here — from the Commonwealth, the EU and further afield — Brexit will not be a problem for the NHS.
Sophie Clement-Jones

Nicholas Cecil and Martin Bentham’s article highlighting the NHS crisis due to Brexit understates the staffing problem [“Brexit fears of NHS staff crisis”, July 25].

As a recently retired consultant geriatrician, I know how important community care workers and nursing home staff are to maintaining patients in the community. EU nationals are an essential part of this workforce and as with NHS nurses, they are leaving.

The fall in the pound so far has put billions on the NHS drugs and equipment bill. I fear for the survival of the service.
Dr Paul Diggory

The more cartoon strips the merrier

While it is always fascinating to view an artist at work, the mention of past cartoonists in the piece on the work of your new signing Christian Adams also included a reference to Frank Dickens’s much-loved Bristow comic strip [July 25].

While editorial cartoons survive in most papers, this is an element long-missed in the revitalised Standard and I am sure by many more besides me. Of course, I understand space is always at a premium, especially in a free paper where advertising revenue is vital.

But I would ask you to consider the merits of building an even more loyal readership by promoting one or two cartoon strips as regulars within your pages, which would make the Standard an unmissable daily read.
Rob Kirby

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Train footballers in social media pitfalls

The furore surrounding Chelsea winger Kenedy is understandable, given the lack of respect he showed to China, although a slap on the wrist was the most suitable punishment.

It goes to show that while there is a lucrative aspect of social media, it can backfire badly if handled incorrectly. Players should be given training to avoid incidents like this.
Tom Barner

Tom Westley has earned his chance

In his sports column [July 25], Dan Jones say that for Tom Westley “any sort of success (at the Oval) would be a huge relief”.

That undermines Westley’s record this season for Essex and England Lions. He’s even scored an unbeaten century against South Africa, whom he faces today.
John Lester

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