The environmental association Zero condemned the government’s intention to reduce the autonomous taxation rates applied to vehicles and to increase the limits on the purchase costs that are subject to tax.
In a statement, the environmental organization stated that the tripartite agreement between the government, employer confederations, and the General Union of Workers is an incentive for companies to continue prioritizing the use of cars for commuting between work and home, rather than promoting sustainable mobility alternatives.
Zero believes that these measures represent “a serious setback in the efforts to decarbonize the transport sector, which currently accounts for more than 30% of the country’s total emissions”.
To avoid worsening pollutant emissions and traffic congestion, Zero proposed alternatives such as “the provision of passes that allow the use of public transport and a monthly allowance for trips using shared taxis and ride-hailing services”.
In this way, Zero appealed to the Government and the parties involved to reconsider their positions, and to the parties involved in the budget negotiations to “quantify this fiscal expenditure and correct the measures regarding the reduction of autonomous taxes on the acquisition of combustion or electric vehicles that travel less than 50,000 km per year. Instead, the next state budget should allocate 15% of road taxes (ISP, ISV, and IUC) for investment in public transport systems, including flexible shared mobility systems and active modes, and another 15% of road taxes – about 600 million euros – in incentives for the electrification of heavily used vehicles that travel more than 50,000 km per year, as well as the creation of areas dedicated exclusively to the charging of these types of vehicles”, the Zero statement adds.
