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[quote"Telegraph"]
Gas guzzler drivers face more expensive parking meters.
Drivers of large “gas guzzling” cars face higher car park and meter charges under new council plans.
By David Millward, Transport Editor
Last Updated: 12:19AM GMT 07 Jan 2009
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Richmond?s proposals will see the owners of larger cars emitting more than 180 grams of CO2 per kilometre paying up to £1.90 an hour to park at a meter Photo: IAN JONES
The move will see prices rise by some 25 per cent across the borough of Richmond-upon-Thames, and is expected to be followed by Town Halls across the country, as they try to persuade motorists to buy environmentally-friendlier cars.
The Liberal Democrat-controlled authority was the first to vary the cost of residents’ parking permits according to a car’s carbon emissions, which saw some treble in price.
At least a dozen authorities across the country – from Edinburgh to East Sussex - have introduced or are considering introducing similar punitive permit charges.
The prospect of penalising motorists at the parking meter outraged motoring organisations.
“It is ludicrous to penalise a vehicle on its emissions, when the engine is switched off,” said an AA spokesman.
The organisation voiced concern that the proposed charges would put further pressure on larger families who need bigger cars for everyday life.
“Money is already tight and people with these vehicles are unlikely to be able to afford to replace them. This is hitting a lot of people very hard at a time when they can least afford it.”
Stephen Glaister, director of the RAC Foundation, said that dealing with climate change was a matter for national government, rather than local town halls,
“It is for Government to decide how best to charge for carbon emissions from vehicles as part of their overall response to the problems of climate change.
“One London borough trying to do something on its own is not going to achieve, even if it is well-intended.”
Richmond’s proposals will see the owners of larger cars emitting more than 180 grams of CO2 per kilometre paying up to £1.90 an hour to park at a meter.
This would include anything from a Porsche Cayenne to an array of ordinary family cars such as some Ford Mondeos.
For average-sized cars, such as a Ford Focus, the hourly charge will be in the region of £1.50 an hour. This will apply to cars which emit 120 to 180 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
The owner of the “greenest” cars such as the hybrid Toyota Prius and Honda Civic would pay £1.20.
Richmond believes that if all households within its boundaries register, then 60 per cent would find themselves being charged the two lower rates.
The high preponderance of 4x4s and other prestige cars will mean that around 40 per cent of households would have to pay more under the scheme, which could come into force as early as the Spring.
However drivers will have to register to qualify to pay anything other than the top rate.
Registration will be possible by registering a car’s details online, after which motorists will be issued with a “Richmond Smart Card.”
Alternatively drivers will be able to do so using their mobile phone, again providing their vehicle registration number.
Both systems will allow Richmond to compare the car’s details against the national database held by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in Swansea.
This will enable the hourly charge to be calculated according to the car’s vehicle excise duty band.
Payment will either be made through the smart card, which drivers will be able to top up, or via the driver’s mobile phone.
David Trigg, the councillor piloting the latest scheme, said it was designed to encourage people to use less polluting cars.
“No one action will achieve this but I certainly believe local government has an important part to play and we know now that policies like this one do make most people think seriously about what they do.”
Motorists who drive 4x4s - and others cars with higher CO2 emissions - also face paying more for their tax disc from April, with a new top rate of £405, compared to £400 during the current year. This figure will further rise to £435 in 2010.
However, following The Daily Telegraph’s campaign Fair Deal for Drivers, the Government decided against pressing ahead with punitive rises for tax discs for older cars. From April 2010, anyone buying a new car in the higher Vehicle Excise Duty bands faces a charge of up to £950 for their first tax disc, if the vehicle emits more than 255 grams of CO2 per kilometer.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/new ... ters..html
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