BRITaIN has rejected proposals from the EU which call for a ban on petrol and diesel cars from city centres by 2050. The European Commission said phasing out conventionally fuelled cars from urban areas would cut reliance on oil and help cut carbon emissions by 60%. UK Transport Minister Norman Baker said it should not be involved in individual cities transport choices. a transport plan to be put to EU governments insists phasing out oil-burning cars is not an assault on personal mobility. Coupled with proposals and targets covering road, rail and air travel, the European Commission says its transformation of the transport system can increase mobility and cut congestion and emissions by 60% by 2050. The proposal says that by 2050 the majority of medium-distance passenger journeys those above 180 miles should be by rail. More than half of road freight travelling more than that distance should move to rail or boat 30% by 2030. all core network airports should be connected to the rail network by 2050, with all core seaports sufficiently connected to the rail freight and, where possible, inland waterway system . EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas said: The widely held belief that you need to cut mobility to fight climate change is simply not true.