Council to target gas-guzzling cars
Wednesday, 25 Oct 2006 16:47
Parking charges for high-polluting cars would increase under the plans
Council leaders in a south-west London borough are considering plans to alter the area's residential parking permit system so that owners of high-polluting vehicles are charged more than those with more environmentally friendly cars.
Lib Dem-run Richmond upon Thames council is consulting on proposals which would see vehicles which produce the most carbon dioxide emissions, pay up to three times as much for their annual parking permits than they presently do.
Reports claim that the owners of high-emission cars, such as 4x4s, Jaguar XJs and Porsche 911s, could see their local parking charges rise from £100 to £300 a year if the scheme, which is based on the government's car tax bands, is introduced.
The proposals, which will be considered by Richmond council's cabinet on November 6th, will be the first of its kind within the country if it is accepted.
Under the sliding scale of charges proposed by the area's local politicians, the lowest emitting vehicles, such as electric hybrid models, would pay nothing at all to park outside their homes, while others would qualify for reductions of up to 50 per cent.
In addition, households who own more than one car would be expected to pay a further 50 per cent extra to cover parking charges for subsequent vehicles.
Unveiling the plans, Councillor Serge Lourie, leader of Richmond upon Thames council, said: "Climate change is the single greatest challenge facing the world today."
"We can no longer bury our heads in the sand and pretend that it is not happening, or that dealing with it is up to somebody else," he added, stressing that Richmond upon Thames was one of the highest carbon dioxide emitting boroughs in London.
"For too long, it has been seen as a problem that only central governments or international organisations could address. The truth is that we must all start acting now at local level," Mr Lourie stressed.