Introduction of Emission Based Parking Charges Delayed

---

Around 90% of vehicles will have to pay more under new system

Hounslow Council are set to introduce a new fee scale for parking across the borough which incentivises the use of low emission vehicles.

The measure which was originally due to be in place this April has had to be postponed due to the Covid-19 outbreak and the need to test the technology but a report to the council is recommending introduction in January of next year. They say this will also allow for trade to re-establish on the borough’s High Streets following lockdown.

Three bands of charging for parking will be introduced with a discount on current rates for zero emission vehicles, low emission vehicles paying the current rate and all other vehicles would pay a higher rate. For instance the charge for on street parking for two hours would rise from £4.80 to £6.40. The discounted rates will only be available for parking using the Pay By Phone system. Parking charges by Pay and Display will increase for all vehicles. These new charges will apply to sessional parking in on-street pay and display bays and in council-run car parks.

There will also be changes made to the charges for business parking permits which will increase the price for higher emission vehicles (anything above 100g CO2/km).

When the council originally made these proposals last year they set the qualification for the low emission tariff rate at 50g CO2/km which would have meant that hybrids such as the Toyota Prius would not have qualified and fewer than 5% of vehicles currently registered in the borough would have been eligible for lower parking charges. This has now been increased to 75g and the council estimate that around 10% of vehicles will be in either the zero or low emission category. They believe that this number will rise as more people switch to lower emission vehicles. Nationwide registrations of pure electric cars in December 2019 were up 220% on the same period in 2018.

Hounslow applied a diesel surcharge to residents permits in 2017 as well as offering discounts for cars with lower CO2 emissions.

The council say that pollution from road vehicles accounts for around a third of carbon dioxide emissions in London. In line with their declaration of a climate emergency they say they are committed to taking action to reduce carbon emissions wherever it has influence.

There were 69 responses to the consultation held by the council on the changes which they say they advertised in the local newspaper. 62% of respondent opposed the new charging levels with 30% in favour.

The council is also proposing to extend charging times in Hounslow town centre to cover Sundays which will also be implemented at the beginning of this year.

 

June 24, 2020