Oh Please — In the UK, of course, they are touting "green" parking. This is a political, not an environmental, subject. Read about it here.
I have commented on this before. Here’s the deal. Those folks in some of the most affluent sections of the UK are going to pay more for on street parking permits. Some will pay less. Those that pay more will pay about $2.50 a month more (for a total of $17.50 a month.) to park a vehicle that they paid $50,000 to buy. So, what is this going to accomplish? Certainly no one who is gearing up to spend 50K for a car is going to think twice about the $2.50. That $2,50 is supposed to go for "green" causes. I would be shocked SHOCKED if any of the money found its way into the hands of a legitimate green cause.
This is a "feel good" project. Lets do it so we can "feel good." It will make no difference to the environment nor to the amount of CO2 the UK belches into the atmosphere.
But, gee, shouldn’t we just TRY. Yes, of course, but wouldn’t it be better if we did things that might have a chance of making a difference, like supporting nuclear power. If tomorrow all electricity on earth was generated by nuclear power plants, the amount of emissions into the atmosphere would plummet. Of course the very same people who are adding that $2.50 fee on the Hummers parked in Richmond, UK, are the ones stopping clean, safe nuclear power plants.
The mind boggles.
JVH
5 Responses
I want to make some corrections to the comments on this article regarding the new rates for resident on-street parking in London. The intention by some London Councils is to charge dependant on vehicle engine size and CO2 emissions. You mentioned that those the new charges will only be $2.50 per month ($30 per year) and for your reader’s information, the amounts will vary between different Councils, but the first Council to introduce this new scheme, will be charging the top band vehicles emitting over 225 CO2g/Km or 3 liters and over a total of $600 per year for the first vehicle (currently $200) and $900 per year for a second vehicle (currently also $200) that will mean a two car family could be paying an extra $1100 annually and as people know, once any tax scheme is in place, these annual charges tend to increase much higher than inflation.
I believe it has become fashionable in the UK for national and local politicians to join the Anti-Car Bandwagon and this is being introduced even when 51% majority of local residents voted against it, as if to highlight once again, the contempt with which many councils view democracy these days.
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that vehicles don’t actually emit anything whilst parked, so this proposal is to many people fundamentally unjust and pure discrimination.
Thanks Manny — the articles we read over here don’t reflect that, however my comment stays. I doubt that even $100 per month would keep someone who could afford a Range Rover from buying one.
John – I am afraid you are wrong, it has deterred many buyers from buying larger cars, the proof of this is that sales of utility vehicles and other larger cars are down over 25% for the last year and second hand large vehicles prices have dropped even further.
This issue of Local Councils car policies has to be read in context with all the other anti-car measures that are taking place in the UK.
In London we have the congestion charge that has just been extended in size, for this we pay over $15 per day for the joy of travelling to central London, the alternative for some is to travel like sweating sardines on our rail and underground when the temperature last year reached over 120 degrees F. during the summer. No i don’t think so. Do yo also know that the mayor of London has stated his intention to tackle congestion further is to increase the congestion charge substantially to $50 per day for larger cars.
We also have one of the highest fuel tax in the world with people here having to pay around $7 tax in every gallon to the government, and as the UK is suffering from congestion in cities and major roads, we will soon be trailing new road charging schemes were it has been stated by experts it will cost up to $2.50 per mile travelled during peak periods.
Can you imagine the Bush administration introducing these anti-car schemes in the US? No i don’t think so.
I suppose, a consolation to all this worries for the motorist is to know that the way things are going, it will become cheaper to park your car in Central London and leave it parked indefinitely than to use it. Wow what an achievement!
I’m sure that the substantial increase in the price of gas (petrol to you) had little or nothing to do with it. Between $6.50 and $7 a gallon might have something to do with the drop… Your numbers must be off a bit, since you only Pay a total of a bit less than $7 a gallon, so if you pay $7 in tax, that doesn’t leave a lot for BP or Q8. NO wonder Tesco is watering down the gas…
However I will say that in NYC, the charge to drive is what — $15 for tolls plus $50 to park. So what do people do — bus, taxi, limo, subway — you aren’t alone.
JVH
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