Emissions-based parking ‘should charge diesel drivers more’

Richard Aucock, Contributor
Tue, 12 Sept 2023

Cities should start charging diesel drivers more to park their car as part of an app-based emissions-based parking scheme, the boss of Britain’s largest cashless parking app has said.

RingGo MD Peter O’Driscoll says such initiatives could be an alternative to the controversial London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

Vehicles would be ranked on their green credentials, with higher-emission and more polluting models automatically paying a surcharge.

The technology already exists to implement such emissions-based parking schemes, with apps such as RingGo identifying vehicles by their number plate.

ULEZ has become "an increasingly divisive policy with those on both sides having some valid points", O’Driscoll told The Telegraph.

"The UK must improve air quality targets and reduce carbon emissions to deliver cleaner healthier and more liveable cities for residents," he added.

Experts says emissions-based parking would be an easy-to-implement alternative to the £12.50 daily ULEZ charge.

Surcharges for more polluting vehicles are "simple and cheap to enforce" through cashless parking apps. Some councils have already begun charging the most polluting vehicles more to park.

Greenwich Council is sorting vehicles into 13 different CO2 emissions bands. The lowest-emitting vehicles pay £2 an hour, with fees more than trebling for highest-emitting models, to £7 an hour.

Diesel cars also incur a £50 surcharge for residential parking permits and if a household has more than one car, each is subject to a £100 penalty.

In Marylebone, petrol car owners pay £4.90 an hour to park, while diesel cars pay £7.35.

Hackney Council plans to increase parking charges for higher-emission vehicles by around six-fold over the next decades, reports The Telegraph.

An annual parking permit for the most polluting petrol vehicles will rise from £97 to £433. The most polluting diesel vehicles will see an even heftier increase, from £213 to £1249.

Bath and North East Somerset Council along with and St Albans City and District Council, are also understood to be considering similar schemes.

Ask HJ

Why is my car ULEZ-compliant but has a high rate of road tax - why?

My Shogun is ULEZ compliant (lower emissions) so why is the road tax £675 pa? Surely it should qualify for lower tax like my friend's Shogun who pays half of what I pay and his car is not ULEZ compliant?

The ULEZ zone is designed to reduce the number of vehicles entering London that do not meet emissions criteria for nitrogen oxides, which are particularly harmful to humans, animals and the ecosystem. Vehicle Excise Duty for cars registered between 2001 and 2017 is based on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, which contribute to global warming. If your Shogun costs £675 a year to tax, this would suggest it is in Band L for CO2 emissions between 226-255 g/km. It might seem unfair that your Shogun is ULEZ-compliant and attracts a high rate of VED, but these two taxation systems are designed to reduce different kinds of harmful emissions.

Answered by David Ross

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