Jersey Scraps 2030 Ban on New Petrol and Diesel Cars

Plans to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars in Jersey by 2030 have been dropped following public opposition, Environment Minister Steve Luce has announced.

The proposal, which had already been scaled back to exclude second-hand vehicles, has now been abandoned entirely after a public consultation drew more than 2,000 responses. Officials said 63% of individuals and 79% of organisations expected the policy to negatively affect them.

Deputy Luce said the island did not need new legislation, as the UK’s move away from fossil-fuel vehicles would “cascade to the local market automatically”. He added that many respondents wanted to retain freedom of choice when buying vehicles.

While acknowledging that cutting road emissions could now take longer, Luce said affordability and a “just transition” for motorists were key concerns. He stressed he remained committed to Jersey’s 2050 net-zero target but said it was time to rethink elements of the Carbon Neutral Roadmap.

The government will now review wider transport policies, including taxes and charges, as part of efforts to encourage lower-emission travel.