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Richmond ups parking charges for gas guzzlers in all bays (From Richmond and Twickenham Times)
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Richmond ups parking charges for gas guzzlers in all bays
9:47am Wednesday 7th January 2009
Gas guzzlers in Richmond will have to pay higher parking charges across the whole of the borough – not just in residents’ bays.
Richmond Council announced the most polluting vehicles will be charged 25 per cent more to use its car parks and other parking bays.
Vehicles ranging from Porsche Cayennes to average family cars such as some Ford Mondeos will pay up to £1.90 an hour to park across Richmond-upon-Thames.
This will apply to cars which emit more than 180 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
The council was the first in the country to vary residents’ parking fees according to a car’s emissions. That change, approved in January last year, saw some permits treble in price.
However, an AA spokesmans said: “It is ludicrous to penalise a vehicle on its emissions, when the engine is switched off.”
Smaller cars which emit 120 to 180 grams of CO2 per kilometre, such as a Ford Focus, will be charged about £1.50 an hour.
The cleanest cars, including the hybrid Toyota Prius and Honda Civic, would pay £1.20.
However, all drivers will be forced to pay the top rate unless they register for the scheme, which could come into play as early as spring.
Motorists will have to register their car’s details online. They will then receive a “Richmond Smart Card”, which they will be able to top up to pay parking fees.
They can also pay by mobile phone, entering their vehicle registration number. The car’s emission class will be checked against the DVLA database and the correct fee will be levied.
The council believes about 60 per cent of households would fall into the two lower categories.
More than 20 councils countrywide have followed the Richmond’s example of linking residents’ bay parking fees with emissions.
The latest change is also expected to be copied across Britain.
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Your Say YourRichmond
Harry_, London says...
2:55pm Wed 7 Jan 09
Cllr True, East Sheen says...
3:23pm Wed 7 Jan 09
"What this amounts to is a near million-pound 'shoppers' supertax'
"Now we know why the LibDems spent £1.5 million on new parking meters while cutting meals-on-wheels - to fleece shops and shoppers of all ages.
We are ruled by headline-seeking ideologues. It is time to boot out this incompetent and wasteful administration and concentrate on the real needs of local people, starting with justice for old people being deprived of hot meals on wheels and a Council tax freeze this spring."
Lez, Surrey says...
10:28pm Wed 7 Jan 09
liticians are really, really, pushing their luck with the public now. It is very clear that they are using the emissions argument to extort money out of people - but on a vehicle that is STATIC? A vehicle that is PARKED with the engine switched OFF?
It goes to show the absolute contempt that these parasites have for the people that they work for - the public.
Hello, hello, we can see the king hasn't got his clothes on, we know you are milking us dry.
All that this does is convince those of us still left with some free-will and the ability to think, that politicians 'absolutely' cannot be trusted.
I'd lock the lot up and throw away the key.
It's time for regime change in Richmond.
therealcolin, Richmond says...
10:38pm Wed 7 Jan 09
tonybryer, Melbourne says...
12:53am Thu 8 Jan 09
The answer is simple: return business rates to local councils and make them pay all parking revenues over to central government. Then the emphasis would be on encouraging town centres and reducing parking controls and enforcement to the minimum necessary. Currently councils have a financial interest in doing just the opposite.
Harry_, London says...
12:48pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Did you not consider this with your 'ability to think'?
Harry_, London says...
12:48pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Did you not consider this with your 'ability to think'?
Ditzy_1, Teddington says...
7:11pm Thu 8 Jan 09
Mustang Sally, Richmond says...
1:15pm Fri 9 Jan 09
It's about the simplistic beliefs of council managers who think they are actually real politicians, with the result that they consider themselves able to create headline-grabbing policies such as this. They were actually elected to simply look after our Council Tax, clean the streets and empty the bins.
What's the result? They alienate voters and create distrust by introducing ill-considered schemes like this.
Discriminating "... the polluter will pay more" (see LBRUT website press release) against your citizens by taxing them further via the size of their car engine when they go shopping is a Very Bad Idea. In the present circumstances it's potentially suicidal.
If you don't consider it a stealth tax, read this quote...
"Should there be any additional money we will spend it on parking and transport infrastructure in the borough. We have not budgeted to make a surplus from this but like most other councils we are seeing revenue falling at present so any extra revenue generated would go towards supporting essential services."
And don't forget, if you do sign up to this scheme, there's a whole swathe of personal data about what you drive, where you live, where you park etc, being donated free of charge to your friendly local council for future analysis at their leisure. (Or leaving on a train).
What frightens local councillors more than anything? No, it's not forgetting to put on their anoraks over their suits in cold weather. It's losing votes. Remember that.
Lez, Surrey says...
9:43pm Fri 9 Jan 09
Harry_ wrote:Harry, Your logic (lack of it) is very worrying. Please don't ever get into government.
Lez, how do the cars reach the car park in the first place? Do they dematerialize like the Tardis? No, they drive there. While they're being driven to the car park they are belching out fumes. Did you not consider this with your 'ability to think'?
Harry_, London says...
10:00pm Fri 9 Jan 09
Your sayYour Richmond
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The higher charges will apply to all bays - not just residents' permits
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Phillip Taylor, Phillip Taylor says...
1:55pm Wed 7 Jan 09