RAC comments on Westminster diesel car parking surcharge

Commenting on the announcement by Westminster City Council that it is to begin a trial of charging diesel drivers 50% more to park, RAC public affairs manager Nick Lyes said:

“Adding a 50% parking price surcharge to diesel vehicles is unlikely to make any difference to London’s air quality and will simply be seen as another charge on motorists. Westminster’s approach is also arguably not evidence based as the surcharge takes no account of how much a vehicle is used and therefore how much it is contributing to the air quality problem – which calls into question the council’s assertion that they are applying a ‘polluter pays’ approach to tackling the problem.

“Without question tough action needs to be taken to improve air quality – our concern is that this blanket approach that applies to all diesel cars, regardless of how polluting they are, is simply the wrong one. The problem needs to be looked at in its entirety with any measures fairly applied across all contributors to poor quality air, be they private or business motorists, private hire firms or bus operators.

“Parking surcharges appear to be a fashionable way for some councils to penalise diesel drivers. Merton Council, for example, is the latest London borough seeking to unfairly impose a retrospective diesel surcharge to residents’ parking permits – without any evidence to suggest it will improve air quality.

“Motorists are keen to be part of the solution in ending the blight of poor quality air, and research from the latest RAC Report on Motoring shows that 55% of motorists would support charging the most polluting vehicles for entering an area with poor air quality.

“The RAC supports measures such as the Ultra-Low Emission Zone which is evidence-led and focuses on targeting the most polluting vehicles. Councils must also start to look at local measures to get traffic moving - some of the worst local air pollution will also be where congestion is at its worst. Additionally, policymakers must be seen to lead by example, so ambitious targets to replace bus and taxis fleets with cleaner, modern vehicles must be a priority. And finally, the Treasury must provide motorists with incentives to switch - changes to VED rates for new vehicles this year unfortunately send the wrong message to motorists who want to do their part by purchasing a modern, low emission vehicle.”

Press office team

Press office team

For journalist enquiries only

Share

Latest News

Website preview
One-in-six drivers who ignore MOT advisories suffer a breakdown – or worse
RAC warns against ‘advisory apathy’ or run the gauntlet of a breakdown
media.rac.co.uk
Website preview
Government commits £24bn to road maintenance in 2025 Spending Review - RAC comment
In response to the Government's Spending Review, which commits £24bn of capital funding to road maintenance between 2026 - 2030, RAC head of policy Simon Williams said: “Giving councils the certainty of longer-term funding to fix their roads is something we’ve called for many years, so this is excellent news. Local authorities now have a golden opportunity to end the cycle of merely filling potholes and instead begin to be much more proactive in their maintenance. This must include both more surface dressing to keep decent roads in good condition and resurfacing those that are at the end of their lives. It’s incumbent on councils to grasp this new opportunity and show all road users how it’s making a genuine difference in the quality of the roads they use every day."
media.rac.co.uk
Website preview
Petrol drops for third month in a row to near four-year low
Diesel now at its lowest since end of September 2021
media.rac.co.uk

Get updates in your mailbox

By clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy.

About RAC Media Centre

The RAC Media Centre provides journalists and news outlets with the latest motoring-related news, comment, data and research.

The RAC is an iconic UK brand, and provides complete peace of mind to nearly 14 million UK private and business drivers - whatever their motoring needs. As well as its premium nationwide breakdown assistance service – with an expert branded patrol workforce attending more than two million breakdowns every year – and European breakdown assistance products, it offers a wide range of market-leading products across insurance, legal services, vehicle inspections and service, maintenance and repair. Included in this is the first-of-its-kind nationwide Mobile Mechanics service which brings the garage to homes and workplaces. 

At the forefront of new solutions for business fleets and consumers, the RAC’s breakdown service is electric-ready with mobile EV charging technology and be called on using myRAC – its all-in-one route planner, fuel finder and breakdown reporting app

Contact

press.office@rac.co.uk

media.rac.co.uk