Pollution charge mooted

A charge of up to £12.50 a day on top of the congestion charge has been proposed to deter the most polluting vehicles from entering the centre of London. The Mayor and Transport for London have launched a public consultation on proposals to introduce the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in the capital on September 7, 2020.

Laundering plant raided

A diesel laundering plant capable of producing 19 million litres of illicit fuel a year, evading around £12m in tax, has been dismantled by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). Officers from HMRC and the Police Service of Northern Ireland discovered it in an industrial unit in the Jonesborough area. A huckster site an illegal filling station was discovered nearby.

Plug-in sales rocket

Sales of electric cars and other plug-in vehicles have increased rapidly, according to the Department for Transport, with a record number of people taking advantage of government grants. Between July and September 2014, over 5,000 grants were provided, more than double the number in the previous three months and there are now over 17,000 grant-funded vehicles on the UK’s roads.

New chief for Topaz

Ireland’s largest fuel and convenience retailer Topaz has announced the appointment of a new chief executive. Emmet O’Neill, who joined the company’s board in March, will take over from the current chief executive Sean Corkery on the February 1 next year.

Hydrogen network funds

The Government has announced £11m of funding to help establish an initial network of up to 15 hydrogen refuelling stations by the end of 2015. It includes £2m for public sector hydrogen vehicles.