Edinburgh to introduce CO2-based parking permits
Wed 04 February 2009
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A new residents’ parking permits scheme aimed at rewarding environmentally friendly car usage has been approved by Edinburgh City Council. Under the new scheme, parking permit charges will be graded according to vehicle size and CO2 emissions levels.
The new charging structure is the first of its kind in Scotland and should mean that approximately two thirds of current permit holders will pay less for their permit, while a further 14% will be no worse off. Only permit holders with the most polluting vehicles or those with a second permit will pay more than they do at present. The scheme follows a public consultation which revealed overwhelming support (73%) for the new permit structure.
Transport Convener, Councillor Phil Wheeler, said that the move to a graduated charging structure was also essential to meet European local air quality standards by 2010. "While it is only 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, in turn, should reflect the amount of pollution it creates," he said.
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