New driving law plans could see owners of SUVs pay higher parking charges in Oxford in a bid to crack down on larger vehicles that can be more dangerous.
The Green Party in Oxford has laid out the new plans, claiming that SUVs are heavier, thus causing more damage to the roads, are more likely to seriously injured or kill pedestrians and potentially cause higher levels of pollution.
It was inspired by a public referendum in Paris in February which called on Parisians to decide whether to triple parking charges for SUVs in an attempt to get drivers to switch to smaller and less polluting cars.
Almost 55 per cent of people living in the French capital voted in favour of the parking measures which will impact petrol, diesel and hybrid vehicles heavier than 1.6 tonnes and electric vehicles weighing more than two tonnes will have to pay more.
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Owners of SUVs could soon see more expensive parking charges
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An SUV or 4x4 will have to pay €18 (£15.43) an hour in the centre of Paris and €12 (£10.29) an hour in the rest of the city – or €225 (£192.86) for six hours of parking.
Lois Muddiman, Green Party councillor for Osney and St Thomas, said: “The cost to the public purse, with the impact on the NHS and the highways authority, is higher if you’re driving a big car rather than a small one.
“If pedestrians are hit, they are more likely to be seriously injured by larger cars as they go underneath the vehicle due to its higher ride height.
“SUVs also cause more damage to our medieval roads, which aren’t made for these big vehicles, and there are greater emissions,” The Telegraph reported.
She said that most drivers did not need such a large car, especially when they are so expensive, adding that the proposals were “common sense”.
Councillor Muddiman also warned that the council would need to “think very carefully” about heavier electric cars and the impact they have on roads.
Data from Transport and Environment found that cars in the UK are starting to exceed the 180cm minimum width for on-street parking, with cars growing almost 3cm over the last five years.
While regulations state that the maximum width is 255cm – to make space for buses and trucks – the minimum specified on-street parking space is 180cm.
Experts have warned that the issue will get worse in the coming years with demand from Britons for larger SUV-type vehicles continuing to grow.
Leo Murray, co-director of Possible, described the issue as “autobesity”, adding that “‘downsizing’ policies to limit the size and weight of new private cars could be surprisingly effective at driving down carbon emissions too”.
The widest vehicle was the Land Rover, having grown by 20.6cm in six years, followed by the Mercedes X5 (6cm growth).
If accepted, the new parking tax would be active alongside the Zero Emission Zone (ZEZ) which charges petrol and diesel vehicles every day to drive in the city centre.
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Paris recently voted to increase parking charges for SUVs REUTERSOxfordshire County Council launched a consultation last year to see whether there was an appetite from drivers to see an indefinite extension to any exemptions in place to the ZEZ, including Blue Badges and for residents.