Canada to Cull Clunkers With Taxpayers' Money
CTV News reports that Canada's environment minister, John Baird, is about to announce a program designed at removing older vehicles from Canada's roads. Baird's ministry, Environment Canada, contacted vehicle scrappers to give them the heads-up. According to the Goverment's research, five million vehicles dating from 1995 or earlier roam the country's roads. Though these vehicles represent only 28 percent of licensed vehicles, they account for 67 percent of the smog. Mark Natais, president of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association– who has absolutey NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER in inciting five million Canadians to buy new vehicles– piles it on, noting that models from 1987 or earlier could release 37 times more emissions than a brand-new vehicle. Details of the taxpayer-funded mechanism favoured by Baird are scarce. CTV mentions some possible alternative: rebates on new vehicles, free transit passes and charitable receipts in exchange for older cars. At a glance, such a program seems like a no-brainer. The problem is that, from a cost/benefit point of view, any car older than 12 years is typically fully paid and has negligible trade-in value. And let's face it, if it's made it this far, it's a survivor. No incentive can overcome the cost of a new set of payments.
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Ah! A sensible question. Of course we can't know until the details are released, but given that Samir kindly informed us that the same government has just axed the existing 'clean-car' rebate (as of 2009) then we can assume that the new program is intended at least in part to supplant that initiative.
Gas guzzling old cars?? Come-on, lets tell the rich they can no longer drive there 10km to the liter always only one driver, 4 tonne of scrap metal SUV, they must trade it in on a mini, maybe give the money difference to me so I can buy me one too, cause I am very happy with my 87 Aries K, it gets 40 to the liter and runs like the day it rolled off the assembly line.
The view from the USA, pretty aint it LMAO.. Seriously? Brutal smog in Toronto? Hard to believe. Most of Canada is pretty sparsely populated (think the population of California spread across the entire US). Aside from possibly a few cities like Toronto, it’s hard for me to imagine smog being a problem in 97.45% of Canada. Gosh, eyes burning in Halifax NS and a pall over Edmonton Alta, blocking the view of the stars. (The local astronomy community is up in arms, UP IN ARMS over the clunkers, and recently held a protest where they threw meteorites at a 1975 AMC Pacer.) Really stretches the imagination. So what is this clunker buy back really about?
The word CLUNKER I thought use to refer to an old fishing boat with a single cylinder engine cruising along the waters. As for the old cars polluting is a bunch of brainwashing by government and environmentalists. You see...the old cars still burn the same fuel as the new ones and that same gasoline burns so much cleaner than the old leaded fuel. Some of the old cars from the 30's to 80's can go 50 thousand kliks before you have to change sparkplugs. As for the buyback program giving you a $3000. rebate is only a tax receipt to claim on your income tax and if you are lucky you might get back about 500 to 750 bucks in reality for your old vehicle, so I think its a scam to get people to buy new cars when there is nothing wrong with their old one. Yes, I agree, there are some vehicles out there not fit to even be in a driveway, not alone being on the highway. Don't get sucked in by Governments to get you to give up your transportation if its in good condition. Governments don't want you to get rid of the automobile, because its one of the biggest tax generators. I have an 88 F-150 and its in excellent condition, bedamned if I will give it up yet.