‘Bonkers’ new parking rules could see diesel drivers pay ten times more than EVs
'BONKERS' new parking rules could see diesel drivers pay ten times more than EV motorists.
Unlucky diesel drivers are set to be hammered with additional costs in parts of London thanks to the fresh changes.
Greenwich council is charging owners of the most polluting vehicles up to £7 an hour for on-street parking.
In comparison, owners of zero emission vehicles, like electric cars, could pay as little as 70p to park for an hour in the London borough.
Drivers are charged tiered parking rates based on how much carbon dioxide vehicles emit.
Drivers will be forced to pay £300 for a resident parking permit and a staggering £825 for a business parking permit – both of which last just 12 months.
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Some Greenwich residents are being made to pay an extra £280 for parking permits, with prices ranging from £20 to as much as £300.
This compares to just £55 for the most environmentally friendly models.
The emissions-based charging scheme is one of many aims set out by the Labour-run council to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Greg Smith MP, who sits on the Commons transport committee, said the “bonkers” scheme would “punish” residents and businesses, The Telegraph reported.
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He said: “Councils need to understand the real world, where real people are trying to go about their lives, get to work, do the family shop and take the kids to school.
“Bonkers policies that seek to punish people that drive what some bureaucrat deems the ‘wrong sort’ of car will both punish their own residents and harm the businesses that rely on cheap and accessible local parking.”
Councillor Matt Hartley, Greenwich’s Conservative opposition leader, said: “Not content with backing Ulez charges to the hilt, the leadership of Greenwich council is intent on punishing car owners further with these parking charge increases.
“I am deeply concerned about the impact these hikes are having on our high streets and shopping parades – and on household finances, which are already stretched."
The Sun have approached Greenwich council for comment.
The council is among the dozen London boroughs including Hackney, Lambeth and Kensington & Chelsea to introduce rates based on how much carbon dioxide vehicles emit.
This scheme is also coupled with the expansion of Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, which charges polluting vehicles £12.50 to drive inside Greater London.
Londoners have been rebelling against the ULEZ charge, especially so after the zone expanded in August.
Currently around 4,000 drivers are issued fines per day relating to ULEZ, with registration plates read between 75 and 80 million times a day by Sadiq Khan's surveillance camera network.
Drivers of non-compliant vehicles, which is broadly considered to be pre-2005 petrol and pre-2015 diesel motors, are forced to fork out a daily fee of £12.50.
TfL is able to slap drivers with a penalty charge if they fail to pay the fee, which are set at £180 but decrease to £90 if paid within two weeks.
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Outside the capital, Bath and North East Somerset council introduced an emissions-based charging structure in eight council-owned car parks in September.
St Albans in Hertfordshire has adopted a similar scheme for parking permits.