• Larger and more polluting cars like the BMW X7 might levied a charge of £3.40.
• Reading residents are upset about the move.
• The councillor for climate strategy and transport said they are committed to improving air quality and achieving net zero.

Reading Borough Council is mulling over a new parking tariff based on car emissions to speed up its net zero goal.

The plan has been mooted to levy higher parking fees on cars that emit more carbon dioxide (CO2). To put things into perspective, parking a small, lower-emission car — for example, a Ford Focus — might cost £1.20 per hour, while a high-emission BMW X7 diesel would be charged £3.40.

For now, public car parks are exempt from this charge, which would apply only to parking permits and on-street parking meters. The proposals are part of Reading's ambitions to become net zero by 2030.

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To this end, the council is exhorting motorists to reduce pollution and switch to cleaner transportation modes. This is not the first time such a move has been discoursed in the UK. In 2022, Bath launched its own parking charge system based on car emissions.

However, residents are not pleased with the proposal. This was evident from an informal survey conducted in March, which showed that 70% of respondents disagreed with paying higher parking tariffs based on carbon emissions.

Councillor John Ennis, in charge of climate strategy and transport in Reading, noted that despite this, nearly 30% of Reading residents do not own a car and underlined that the council is firm on protecting the environment and reducing air pollution.

He added, "It's a radical move from a radical council who are serious about protecting the environment and getting to net zero by 2030, while also cleaning our air."

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Even if the motion gets the green signal, the cost increase would still be small. This means the owner of a Mini Cooper would need to pay only around 22p more per week for a parking permit; comparatively larger vehicles like the Land Rover Discovery would incur an increase of 55p.

The council is inviting public opinion and will hold a consultation from 26 June to 15 July. If the proposal is approved, the new parking levies would kick in in late autumn.

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Source: BBC