Diesel drivers to pay more for central London parking
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DIESEL car drivers are to be hit with a £2.45-an-hour “D-charge” to park in a swathe of central London.
In a bid to combat toxic air Westminster City council is to become the first town hall in Britain to impose the surcharge for pay-to-park bays.
The D-charge will be tested at 1,424 parking bays in Marylebone, and parts of Fitzrovia and the Hyde Park area from April 3.
Motorists driving diesel vehicles will have to pay an extra 50 per cent on the normal charge, £4.90-an-hour, to park their car or van in a bay. The maximum stay is four hours, so the diesel levy could total £9.80.
“Residents and visitors tell us all the time that air quality is a key concern in central London,” said Councillor David Harvey, Westminster’s Cabinet member for environment, sports and community. He added: “Additional charges for diesel vehicles will mean people think twice about using highly polluting cars and invest in cleaner transport that will make a real difference in the quality of air we breathe.”
Marylebone Road was one of at least 20 sites in London where particulate pollution soared to “very high”, or black 10/10, during the recent spike in toxic air.
The area, which includes Baker Street, Princess Grace Hospital, King Edward VII Hospital, the University of Westminster and Madam Tussauds, also frequently suffers from high nitrogen dioxide levels, exceeding recommended health limits.
The flagship Tory council’s move comes ahead of London Mayor Sadiq Khan introducing a “T-charge”, a toxicity levy, later this year, expected to be about £10 a day, for the most polluting vehicles, diesel and petrol, to drive into central London. The combination of the two surcharges, and the C-Charge, could equate to around £30 to drive into Marylebone and park.
The new levies are likely to spark protests from motorists, especially as many bought diesel cars, which produce less carbon dioxide, after being encouraged through tax breaks to do so by previous governments to tackle climate change.
But the attempts to reduce the number of diesel vehicles in the city will almost certainly be backed by many local residents. London is seen as trailing other capitals, including Paris and Oslo, in implementing measures to tackle toxic air. Westminster said that the “polluters pay” move was supported by groups in the Marylebone Low Emission Neighbourhood including the three business improvement districts.
Penny Alexander, chief executive of the Baker Street Quarter Partnership BID, said: “Improving air quality is a priority for us and needs to be a unified effort.”
The council said that funds raised from the D-charge will be spent on initiatives to promote sustainable transport. It could be made permanent or expanded to other parts of the borough if successful in cutting pollution. @nicholascecil