A FLINTSHIRE politician has called on the Government to speed up its progress on the road to zero emissions.

Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside, attended the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association’s (BVRLA) Road to Zero report card launch in Parliament.

Those attending the event heard how issues with taxation, charge point infrastructure and vehicle supply are putting the brakes on UK electric vehicle (EV) registrations.

The BVRLA represent fleets that own or operate nearly five million cars and vans.

Mr Tami warned: "This report demonstrates that the Government is behind on the targets it set itself in the Road to Zero Strategy.

"If the Government wants to have any chance of keeping its new promise to become ‘net zero’ by 2050, drastic action needs to be taken.

"We can't wait years for more action, the people of Alyn and Deeside need the Government to act now to show them how seriously it takes clean air and reducing emissions.

"The vehicle leasing, rental and car club sector have offered a way to get new clean cars on the road but the right incentives and infrastructure need to be in place."

Mr Tami signed a letter to the Government urging it to speed up its progress on the road to zero emission to keep the promises made in the Road to Zero strategy and to provide the necessary infrastructure and funding necessary to increase the use of electric vehicles.

The letter called on the Government to provide a five-year fiscal roadmap for future EV-related taxes and incentives, set a national quota for EV registrations that ramps up between now and 2030 as well as committing to mandate universal methods of access and payment for public EV charging.

Mr Tami concluded by saying: "The findings of the BVRLA analysis show that the Government has put the brakes on when it should be accelerating its plans.

"We need the Government to prioritise policy measures to increase uptake of electric vehicles in order to meet the Road to Zero targets by its 2050 deadline."