Popular family cars 'could be banned from city centres' in major tax change

Owners of large cars could be hit with higher taxes in a bid to limit the number of them entering city centres, it has been claimed. A tax hike on heavier vehicles, such as SUVs, has been suggested as a measure cut numbers parking in city centres.

It comes amid concerns too many larger cars are now on our roads and that they are too big and wide to fit into tight parking spaces on multi-storey and other city centre car parks. Transport & Environment (T&E) have called for the introduction of a reformed Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) charge for heavier vehicles, reports the Express.

The one-off fee would only apply in the first year, targeting “wealthier private car buyers”. Ralph Palmer, Electric Vehicle and Fleets Officer at Transport & Environment, said authorities could choose to implement harsher taxes for heavier and wider cars.

READ MORE: Huge rule change over when drivers can be fined on private car parks

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Other deterrent measures to keep large cars out of city centres - in a similar way clean air zones have with polluting vehicles - such as specific parking charges, have also been put forward. Mr Palmer told the Express: "At national level, the Government could reform first-year Vehicle Excise Duty, the tax paid when purchasing a brand new car, to account for the weight of the car, as well as CO2 emissions as is currently the case. This would fall on corporate fleets and wealthier private car buyers, not those buying used cars.”

T&E has highlighted how the scheme is already in place in France with added fees depending on how heavy a vehicle comes in it. It said in a recent report: "The UK Government should follow the example set by the French Government and add a weight malus element to its acquisition tax to discourage new car buyers from purchasing large SUVs.

The body has also called on local councils to consider introducing higher parking charges for those with heavier vehicles. Some SUV owners have seen fees triple after Paris introduced a whopping £15 (€18) parking charge.