Pay more to park a 4x4

Dec 10 2007 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal

HIGH emission cars could be forced to pay more to park in Newcastle as planners consider a greener transport policy.

Families using “gas guzzling” people carriers and motorists 4x4s may face higher charges to leave their cars in the city centre under the plans by Newcastle councillors to reduce traffic congestion.

The council is considering introducing the deterrent as part of its Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) bid, in which officers prepare and introduce radical congestion solutions in exchange for millions in Government cash.

Increased parking charges for high emission vehicles could be based on vehicle tax bands and enforced in a similar method to disabled parking bays. Another scheme under consideration is to charge city centre businesses to use their own parking space.

Council leaders say introducing the “non-domestic parking charges” is a fair option, and one already used by hospitals and universities.

Liberal Democrat council leader John Shipley has backed plans to free up city centre roads. Mr Shipley, who has dismissed a London-style congestion charge as undesirable said more options are still to be considered.

“We need to do more not just to tackle congestion but to encourage low carbon emissions in the city centre.

“Now in my view we are getting to the point where it is indefensible to offer free business parking in a city centre when we are trying to free up the roads here.

“And if we are serious about climate change then measures such as emission- based charging need to be looked at.

“Two options under consideration in our TIF proposals are these changes to the parking system and they cannot be overlooked. We know we have to have greater investment in public transport as well and we are committed to that.”

Motoring groups have urged the council to focus resources on public transport and not on “unfair and anti-car policies.” Edmund King executive director of the RAC Foundation said: “It is totally unfair that many people in Newcastle who own a car in a higher tax band that is used for small journeys should be forced out.

“That is the problem with emission-based policies, they assume every car is making the same contribution.

“This is gesture politics that does not really look at solutions but instead makes unfair taxes on many ordinary families.

“Car emissions depend on how often and how far they are driven and a family with say four kids and a low mileage would be treated the same as the more expensive cars.

“The council would be better off investing money into the Metro system.”

He added that compulsory business parking costs were a potential threat to industry, which could damage a city’s economy.

However, some have praised the council for a “brave approach”.

Don Kent, regional spokesman for the Campaign for Better Transport, said: “This has to come with good transport improvements but cars are big CO2 emitters and in light of global warming we simply cannot ignore their impact on our environment.”

And Labour councillors have accused the Lib Dems of not doing enough to reward drivers of low emission vehicles.

Coun Henri Murison said: “The Liberal Democrats have been in power for long enough to have made some real steps towards tackling climate change but as far as the green agenda goes they have done nothing.”