If passed, a new band will be introduced for first registration duty, so the most polluting diesel vehicles will be charged at £2,000 and non-diesel £2,500 – this compares to £1,110 and £1,500 for the current top banding.
The duty was partly designed to encourage people to drive cleaner vehicles, but has so far failed to achieve that aim.
The amendment states that it “has two complementary and interdependent effects: it increases general revenue by an estimated £340,000 primarily through the introduction of two new First Registration Duty (FRD) bandings to cover higher polluting diesel and non-diesel vehicles, and it increases the budget for Passenger Transport by £250,000 to help mitigate the need to raise bus fares over and above inflation in 2024″.
Pictured: Bus fares have already risen twice this year and E&I warns they will have to do so again next Spring unless the money is forthcoming.
Guernsey’s emissions bandings are capped much lower than comparable jurisdictions and so rates for the highest emissions vehicles are also much lower than are typically found elsewhere.
Guernsey’s two highest emissions bandings for diesel vehicles are >131g and >141g, and for non-diesel vehicles >151g and >165g.
By comparison, Jersey’s two highest bandings are >176g and >201g, and the UK’s are >226g and >255g.
Guernsey’s two highest emissions bandings are currently charged at £1,110 and £1,500.
The UK’s first year of charge (alone) for the two highest emissions bandings are £2,220 and £2,605 respectively, while Jersey’s Vehicle Emission Duty charges £3,500 and £6,100 respectively for its two highest emissions bandings.
Existing bands would also be increased in line with inflation if the amendment is passed.
The amendment will be led by E&I President Lindsay de Sausmarez and seconded by Vice-President Adrian Gabriel.