Large parts of the Dutch automotive sector don’t see any benefits in the government’s decision to subsidise car owners who have their old vehicles broken up, the Volkskrant reports on Wednesday.

Car dealers say the rules are too strict and the biggest subsidy (€1,000) too low to make the scheme a real success.
For example, cars which are being broken up must have a certificate showing they are roadworthy which has at least three months left to run.
‘That means someone who wants to get rid of their car may have to pay for a new test and all sorts of expensive repairs before their car can be put through the shredder,’ Ed Gerbranda, director of Peugot dealership Spijkers in Goirle told the paper.
And garages and spare parts firms say they will miss out on business if car owners decide to scrap their vehicles.
Energy efficient
Delft University transport professor Bert van Wee tells the paper that new cars are no more energy efficient than old ones. ‘The technical improvements have gone into making them more luxurious,’ he said. ‘And more than that, destroying old cars costs a lot of energy.’
Environment minister Jacqueline Cramer has set aside €85m to fund the scheme which she hopes will lead to 100,000 fewer polluting vehicles on the road. The scheme, which covers cars of at least eight years old, is due to come into effect next month.