Should SUVs pay more to park? Higher charges for heavy vehicles put to the vote
Vehicles weighing over 2,400kg could be subject to a parking surcharge under new plans proposed by Cardiff City Council
Should SUVs pay more to park? That’s the question set to be voted on by officials as the first UK council sits on the brink of introducing heftier parking charges for the heftiest cars on the road.
The vote, taking place today (Thursday 16 October) at Cardiff City Council, could see the Welsh capital be the first city in the UK to introduce a parking surcharge for vehicles over a specified weight limit.
In this instance, cars weighing over 2,400kg will be subject to the as-of-yet unspecified additional charge – a threshold that will be reduced to 2,000kg for non-electric cars over time. Vehicles weighing more than 3,500kg won’t be allowed a permit at all; Kim Kardashian will be thankful that the UK’s 11535 EV, the Mercedes G-Class with EQ Technology, comes in under this figure at roughly 3,200kg.
The reception to these plans has thus far been overwhelmingly positive; Cardiff Council’s recent consultation found that 66 per cent of respondents favoured the scheme, with less than one-in-four (24 per cent) opposing it.
The main driver behind pushing buyers into smaller cars is safety; recent studies show the higher bonnet line of SUVs can be more lethal when colliding with a cyclist or pedestrian.
Oliver Lord is the UK head of campaign group Clean Cities, as well as a member of the anti-4x4 SUV Alliance. Following his recent conversation with Auto Express about the potential safety and environmental impact of SUVs, he described Cardiff’s plans as “a common-sense policy that will make our city streets safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone. Other cities across the UK could learn from Cardiff’s leadership.”
The proposals have also been backed by members of the public; Helen Edwards’ son was tragically hit by a car last year. She told councillors that: “Families like mine live every day with the consequences of our streets being dominated by ever-larger vehicles.”
Edwards was keen to highlight how the plans “[aren’t] about punishing drivers – it’s about protecting children, pedestrians and our communities. If this change helps even one family avoid what we went through, it will be worth it.”
As mentioned, the vote on the proposal will be held on Thursday 16 October, but it’s unknown when and how it will be implemented. It does, however, form part of a grander plan for Cardiff city centre which includes permits for students and the segmentation of the city into two so-called ‘Strategic Parking Areas’: Central and Peripheral.
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