A NEW report from the Quality of Urban Air Review Group looking at the latest data on airborne particles, is set to put more pressure on diesel fleet operators. The QUARG group hit the headlines in December 1993 with its report titled 'Diesel Vehicle Emissions and Urban Air Quality' and although the word diesel does not appear in the new title, diesel vehicles have not been ignored.

QUARG's chairman Prof Roy Harrison said: 'While diesel cars are not a very major player at the moment their emissions contribution will increase in importance as the percentage of diesels in the country's fleet increases.'

He said the latest report did not recommend sanctions against diesels and added: 'All we do is set out the source of particles and refer people back to our earlier report. That says if we see an increase in the number of diesels and an increase in their market penetration the problem will get worse. But it is up to the Government to decide policies to do something about that. We are simply telling them that diesels are a problem.'