UK council to triple parking fees for some vehicles

One of London’s councils announced this week that it will move forward with plans to charge owners of gas-guzzling cars up to three times as much for parking permits. Reuters reports that Richmond upon Thames Council in London’s southwest will introduce the new charge despite a majority of the council not supporting the change. The move is to help reduce CO2 emissions by getting residents to switch to cars that emit fewer toxins. The cost of parking the most polluting vehicles in the parts of the borough subject to controlled zones will rise to £300 from £100.

Cars will be classified based on the UK government's car tax bands. Band A, representing electric vehicles, will have no charge, while Band B, which includes the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Renault Megane dCi 106 diesel hatchback, get a 50% reduction.

The problem lies in the fact that many motorists who don’t drive large SUVS, which the new rules are meant to target, will also be affected. Owners of vehicles like Renault’s Espace people-carrier and saloons like the Jaguar X-type will also have to pay much higher rates. This is just the UK’s latest round of bullying its residents. The next thing we know, the government will be introducing China's one child policy.