France to get tough on diesel

DIESEL car drivers in France are set to be targeted by a new range of green measures being drawn up by the government for next year.

Two-thirds of cars on the roads in France run on diesel and prime minister Manuel Valls has described France's preferential treatment of diesel over the years as "an error" that needs fixing "with intelligence and pragmatism".

The government has confirmed it wants the price of diesel to gradually rise until it is the same as petrol.

Speaking at the government's environmental conference on Friday, Valls said when he wanted to change his official car, the only models available were fuelled by diesel.

He said the French government and local authorities needed to set an example by encouraging more environmentally friendly vehicle use.

Other measures being drawn up for January include a league table of cars classified by emissions levels. The best-performing vehicles could benefit from free parking and be allowed to use bus lanes. More details are due to emerge in the new year.