Gas-Guzzling Cars in London May Face Higher Charges
Date: 13-Jul-06
Country: UK
Livingstone told the London Assembly about plans for the charge to reflect the carbon emission of vehicles in the same way as cars are subjected to road tax.
The proposals would be for cleaner vehicles to pay slightly less than the current 8 pound charge while the more fuel-hungry would pay on an incremental scale, up to 25 pounds for gas-guzzlers like big 4x4 off-roaders.
The chairman of the assembly's Transport Committee said he welcomed the proposals.
"I hope we get carbon emission down in central London -- we can then consider extending the scheme across London," Geoff Pope said in a statement.
But, not everyone was so enthusiastic.
The AA Motoring Trust said raising the levy to 25 pounds ran the risk of "sweeping up family cars and people carriers that allow large numbers of passengers to travel in one vehicle."
"A focus on so-called gas-guzzlers smacks of jumping on the bandwagon of prejudice," said the Trust's head of roads and transport policy Paul Watters.
He added: "The war on 4x4s in London has reached new heights and is in danger of going over the top by introducing punitive daily charges for many vehicles that are nothing like the vehicles being targeted."
Livingstone's office said the proposals were at a very early stage and that all interested parties, including drivers, would have an opportunity to express their views during any consultation period.