AA slams Richmond over emissions parking plan

4x4 will be charged more for parking

1 February 2007 12:44 GMT / By Jonathan Goddard

A vote to determine the introduction of emissions-based parking charges is going ahead dispite, a leading motoring organisations claims the move is nothing more than a cynical money-making scheme.

Larger vehicles in some of the capital’s boroughs – such as Richmond – are being targeted with increased residents parking permits - but they may emit no more CO2 overall than a small car run from a town outside of the M25, the AA says.

Using Department for Transport statistics on typical annual mileage, the AA says the fewer miles travelled by London residents mean they can emit the same amount of CO2 over the year.

What Car? reports that a car emitting 225g/km of carbon dioxide and travelling the DfT London average of 3800 miles a year produces 1.38 tonnes of the gas a year, exactly the same as a car emitting 145g/km but travelling the urban town average of 5900 miles.

AA spokesman Paul Watters said: “Hitting a car owner with a punitive charge is just one of the unfair anomalies of the Richmond proposal. Leaving residents with virtually no time to buy a lower emission vehicle exposes these charges for what they really are – a money-making tax”.

Richmond is expected to give a final vote of approval for the emissions-based parking charges soon, and introduce them within 3 months.