Posted on June 05, 2008 by Fiona Hilliard

Government officials in Canada have come over all Santa Claus, offering citizens bicycles, public transport passes and cash, there’s one catch though, they must agree to ditch their pre-1996 gas guzzling cars.

According to latest figures, five million of the 18 million cars and trucks in Canada were manufactured  up to 1996, before tougher emissions standards were introduced.

The government has been heavily criticised in the past for abandoning its Kyoto protocol on climate change and it is now eager to show that it has a carbon conscience.

The National Vehicle Scrappage program is due to be up and running by January 2009.  The government is also offering a range of other incentives including:  C$300 in cash, membership to a car-sharing program or a rebate on the purchase of a new vehicle.