£50 surcharge for diesel vehicles as council introduces new parking charges and permits
A council will bring in changes to parking charges and permits by the end of this month in an effort to lower carbon emissions.
Greenwich council is introducing the changes from Monday of next week, as part of its commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030.
Charges will be based on a vehicle’s carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, to encourage people in Greenwich to drive more environmentally friendly cars. This means that drivers of vehicles with low emissions will be charged less than those with higher emissions.
Councillor Averil Lekau, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said: “Air pollution is a risk to us all, and particularly the most vulnerable people in our communities.
“Strong action like this is essential to protecting the health and well-being of our residents and tackling the detrimental impact poor air quality and carbon emissions have on our environment.”
There will be 13 emission bands, offering discounts of up to 80 per cent for the least polluting vehicles.
If more than one vehicle is registered at the same address, a £100 surcharge will be applied for each additional vehicle, and all diesel vehicles will have a £50 surcharge.
Pay and display parking rates will vary based on location, with charges of £2, £5 or £7 per hour. Customers using the PayByPhone mobile app can get discounts, depending on the emissions of their vehicle.
Cllr Lekau said: “We understand cost increases can be a challenge, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis.
“To help people affected by the changes, we’re investing £3.1million to improve our transport network.”
Pictured top: Greenwich (Picture: WolfArt/Pexels)
