Time for a new ‘scrappage’ deal to help drive older cars off the roads

Published on 15 May, 2021

Overview

I THINK there is something of a looming crisis for owners of older cars. And I think we need to address it urgently.

I believe that many people driving such cars – and I’m talking about early Noughties’ models and older – are caught in a real bind. They can’t afford to change. Or if they can it is only by a meagre few years.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying everyone in an 18-year-old saloon is in financial trouble. Many I know choose to run their cars ‘into the ground’.

But judging by the steady stream of enquires I get on a weekly basis, there is a substantial number having difficulty raising the money to update in any meaningful way. 

By the time so much else is taken care of at an expensive juncture in many families’ lives there is little leeway for ‘luxury’, as one female owner told me.

It is easy for urban dwellers to lose sight of the fact that a car is a necessity not a ‘luxury’ for many in rural areas.

Finding or funding €10,000 to €15,000 for a ‘modern’ motor is an impossible ask for them. They don’t need to be reminded that repair bills increase year on year; that cars 10-15 years younger are far safer and more environmentally friendly.

Now I know a general ‘scrappage scheme’ is not favoured by a prestigious government think-tank. But I’m convinced it is an issue worth revisiting in a targeted way. One that would benefit those in the ‘old-car trap’.

I’m not advocating sweeping measures that also benefit those who can well afford to buy new. I’m talking about helping those who need a car to safely and more efficiently get around.

Surely it is not outside the bounds of a think-tank to devise a scheme to accurately target those most in need?