Drivers in England charged £250 to park outside home in 'cash grab' scheme

Diesel drivers being charged £200 to park outside their own homes has been branded a "cash grab" by motoring experts. Diesel drivers driving motors in the push for net-zero by 2035 are facing charges of up to HUNDREDS of pounds to park outside homes.

Owners of diesel vehicles are charged up to £250 more every year to park at home as local authorities clampdown on emissions. Low Traffic Neighbourhoods, Clean Air Zones and the London Ulez scheme have been cited as hitting motorists hard in the pocket.

Residential on-street parking permits are more expensive for diesel vehicle owners in 18 of the 32 boroughs around the capital, the Press Association found. The PA news agency reports London's Hackney Council charges drivers £250 a year to park their diesel cars.

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Other London councils are charging expensive additional fees for parking permits including Islington (up to £220), Merton (£150) and Camden (up to £115). Luke Bosdet, motoring policy spokesperson at the AA, said: "Influencing vehicle ownership towards greener alternatives is done evenly through national taxation, such as vehicle excise duty or company car tax.

“National car taxes ensure that all drivers are treated equally and are rewarded or penalised for their choice of vehicle. Diesel surcharges imposed by councils discriminate against residents who have to park their cars on the street outside their homes, while their neighbours with driveways and off-street parking can have whatever vehicle they want."

The expert described the extortionate parking costs as "simply a council cash grab". Leo Murray, co-director of climate charity Possible, said: “Real-world emissions tests show that toxic NOx emissions from diesel cars in London are on average six times higher than those of petrol cars."

He went on: “We need to start seeing more local authorities using parking policy to discourage dirty private cars.”