Another council appears to introduce emissions-based parking which might see excessive polluting vehicles paying DOUBLE
- Reading considers charging cars with highest CO2 emissions more
- Size-based parking charges could also be introduced down the line
A town in Berkshire is the latest authority looking at introducing emissions-based parking.
Reading Council could implement a sliding scale of parking charges, which would see cars with the highest carbon dioxide emission levels paying significantly more.
Some cars, many of which will be large SUVs as they tend to be among the most CO2 emitting models, will end up paying more than double to park under the proposals.
The new tariffs would apply to both parking permits and on-street parking, but not to council car parks.
If the move goes ahead the new charges will start frp, April, with the council meeting on 20 January to discuss the matter.
Reading is not the only council investigating new systems for parking charges which would require those who drive large cars such as SUVs to pay more to park in public spaces.
Reading is the latest city in the UK looking to bring in parking changes that will mean drivers of larger cars that pollute more will have to pay an increased parking tariff
We reported in December that Cardiff has launched a public consultation asking residents if larger vehicles should pay more for permits.
It followed a similar consultation Bristol opened in October.
Bath and many London boroughs already have ULEZ-style parking charges in place.
While supporters of ‘SUV tax’ parking schemes say they’re ‘fair’ those opposed to the rules accuse them of being ‘anti-car measures’.
What is Reading proposing?
Reading council has said that ‘the primary objective is to encourage those with the most polluting vehicles to choose other modes of transport’
Reading permit holders will be subject to the emissions-based parking changes – these are the permit zones in Reading, all of which will be affected
Reading Council is proposing that all petrol vehicles would pay, as a minimum, 20 per cent more than they currently do.
On the sliding scale diesel vehicles would then pay 25 per cent more than they do now.
Emission chargers will be based on the different bands cars fall into: the lowest being the 151 to 170g/km band, with the highest being the over 255 g/km band.
In its examples, the council says that a Ford Focus (1.0 EcoBoost) which emits between 151 to 170g/km would pay £3.60 for an hour’s parking, up 60p from the £3 it currently costs.
However a Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G 63 AMG) would pay £6 to park for an hour, double the current cost.
A Mercedes-Benz G-Class (G 63 AMG) would pay £6 to park for an hour, double the £3 it currently costs in Reading
Electric vehicles are not included in this proposed change, but will considered for future inclusion.
The council also notes that future reviews should ‘consider the benefits of either a combined weight and emissions scheme or a sized-based tariff’ – which means stricter size-based parking, like Paris’ ‘Land Rover tax’ could be introduced.
The report points to Oxford and Bristol as examples to follow, both of which are currently considering similar schemes.
How will the new costs be calculated?
Hand in hand with the new emissions sliding scale, Reading wants to update its ‘outdated’ pay and display machines, with the council seeking to reduce the number of machines from 168 to 75, while at the same time modernising the machines to accept card payments and end paper tickets.
The new machines require drivers to input the Vehicle Registration Mark (VRM) which the council can then use to link to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) data on tail pipe emissions. RingGo already collects this data.
The amount someone is shown and charged will then be calculated based on DVLA data.
How are other councils’ size-based parking charges structured?
Bristol is set to introduced ‘weight, emissions and size’ of cars which will mean vehicles like SUVs have to pay more to park
In September 2023 Bath introduced ULEZ-style rules where owners of diesel cars and some high-emission petrol models are charged more to use council-owned car parks in the city centre.
When it was introduced it was estimated that 66 per cent of car park users will see additional parking charges – roughly a 47 per cent hike from £1.70 per hour to £2.50.
Many London boroughs on the other hand including Greenwich, Lambeth and Hammersmith and Fulham base resident parking permit costs on vehicle carbon emissions.
Drivers of diesel cars are charged differently in Bath – with the cost of parking at the eight location more expensive after the 2023 change
Bath’s new charges for petrol, hybrid and electric models are now in force
Cardiff’s proposals are specifically size-based, and would ‘charge SUVs more to encourage people to own smaller cars and placing new restrictions on permits for student only properties, and to ensure the system cannot be abused’ the council says.
Bristol’s consultation is ‘based on ‘weight, emissions and size-based pricing’.
Oxford’s Green Party councilors have proposed a parking system where drivers of 4x4s and larger heavier cars should be charged more.
Why are councils bringing these changes in?
In its report, Reading Council said: ‘The primary objective is to encourage those with the most polluting vehicles to choose other modes of transport.’
This is ‘part of the drive to net zero’ to ‘reduce the number of vehicles with higher emissions, whilst having direct benefits for air quality and health.’
Councillor John Ennis, in charge of climate strategy and transport, said: ‘We have seen similar schemes successfully introduced by councils around the country.
‘We believe it is an effective way of helping to reduce the number of high emission vehicles, while improving air quality, benefitting health and helping achieve our ambitions to be a net zero borough.’
Drivers have vehemently opposed Oxford council’s plan to charge large vehicles more for parking in the city, even though Green councillors say there isn’t enough room to park
Meanwhile Emily Kerr, a Green Party councillor who proposed the ‘size, weight and emission-based parking’ in Oxford told MailOnline: ‘It is undeniable that bigger cars take up more space and we have seen that cars have grown hugely.
‘So what you are seeing now is that there is not enough space in car parks, a car might physically be able to fit in a space but they cannot open their doors when another vehicle is next to it.’
However these arguments don’t always go down with motorists or locals, with drivers blasting such changes as part of an ‘anti-car agenda’.
Reacting to Cardiff’s consultation, Conservative Party Councillor Calum Davies said: ‘The simple truth is Labour wants to control, tax, and punish drivers, imposing a moral value on you for daring to have a car.’
Even leading road safety charity IAM RoadSmart’s director of policy, Nicholas Lyes, said that some people ‘might view it [Cardiff’s proposal] as a cash grab’.’
Lyes commented: ‘We would encourage the council to find other ways to improve road surfaces and safety infrastructure without hitting people in the pocket.’
How can I voice my opinion on the parking proposals?
Reading is planning to hold a public consultation before any charges are introduced.
Similarly all other parking proposals have had to include public consultations, with Oxford, Bristol and Bath all holding them.
Cardiff’s consultation ended on 1 December, but not before a council spokesman encouraged ‘everyone that lives, works or studies in Cardiff’ to take part ‘so their voice is heard’.
