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In a bid to reduce the environmental impact of vehicle emissions, the City of Edinburgh Council is the first local authority in Scotland to propose a new charging structure for residents' parking permits to encourage people to consider switching to more environmentally friendly vehicles.
A report, which outlines a proposed new banding system for residents' permits, will be considered by the Council's Transport, Infrastructure and Environment Committee next Tuesday. The new charging structure will mean that two thirds of current permit holders will pay less for their permit. Only permit holders with the most polluting vehicles or those with a second permit will pay more than they do at present.
As well as the environmental pressures vehicles are putting on the city, for some time the Council has been considering action to address the increased demand for permits which is outstripping the limited number of parking spaces available. The report also recommends that a 25% surcharge in placed on the second permit holder in each household.
Environment Leader Robert Aldridge, said: "There is a national acceptance that more needs to be done to influence the vehicle choices that people make. If this is to happen then local authorities need to play their part and take action to bring about local change. "It is clear to me that, with ongoing CO2 monitoring identifying several key locations in the city where CO2 levels are causing concern, it is our responsibility to take measures designed to make city centre residents consider the impact that their vehicle choice has on our city."
While it is right that people should be free to choose the vehicle that best meets their needs, it is also reasonable that they should pay the appropriate costs of owning their vehicle, which should reflect the amount of pollution it creates. There is also increasing demand for a limited number of parking places in the city and encouraging households to consider whether they need a second vehicle along with initiatives such as the City Car Club has environmental benefits as well as helping the relieve the pressure on residents parking.
(GK/JM)
