Safe Speed Forums

Drivers of longer cars to pay more for parking
By Sophie Borland
Last Updated: 2:40am GMT 01/01/2008

Drivers of longer cars are to face higher parking charges under a new scheme, it has emerged.

Owners of many popular family vehicles will be forced to pay almost twice as much for their annual residents' permits under the system being introduced next month by Norwich city council.

Other local authorities will monitor the scheme closely. If it is found to be a success it could be brought in across the country.

Under the scheme, people with cars longer than 14.5ft, such as the Vauxhall Vectra, the BMW 7 and the Nissan Primera, will find that their annual parking fee will rise from £16 a year to £30.

Owners of medium-sized cars, from 12.8ft to 14.5ft, such as the Vauxhall Astra or the Renault Megane, will have to pay £22 a year to park outside their homes.

The price of a permit for drivers of cars less than 12.8ft long, such as the Vauxhall Corsa or Mini Cooper, will be frozen at £16 a year.

The council claims the scheme will help reduce carbon emissions and release more parking space. However, critics say the plans are unfair on large families.

They claim that longer cars do not necessarily cause more pollution. The proposals do not take into account that owners of "green" cars, such as the Toyota Prius, will have to pay extra because they are more than 14.5ft long.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said: "Councils will be looking at this idea with great interest."

Luke Bosdet, a communications officer for the AA, said: "People who need longer vehicles for their trade, such as those who work in the construction industry, are likely to suffer. Norwich is walking on a minefield."

The council claims the scheme will help reduce carbon emissions and release more parking space.

Or perhaps, using a different spin doctor:


Owners of Renault Clios rejoice! The trouble is that, of course, the cost just goes up. If they split the difference, so the "4x4 on hire purchase" crowd got it in the neck, and I got a bit back, I'd be happy. After all, they use more space!

And the typical "4x4" is actually shorter than most family
saloons of the Mondeo type.

But how is it going to reduce CO2 and release more parking spaces. They know all these people won’t go out and buy smaller cars so, it can only be another stealth tax on the motorist.

fatty 4x4s in cars parks really get me going. You can be sealed out of your own car!

Perhaps people would do as I would do - not bother going there.

The width of a typical 4x4 is comparable to that of a luxury saloon (7-series, S-class etc.) or MPV - do they get your blood pressure rising too, or is it only the number of driveshafts that matters?

this is referring to resident permits - i.e. how much it's going to cost Norwich-ites for the priviledge of parking outside their own homes... how can they "not bother going there", when "there" is where they live

By having a wonderful invention (which I am lucky enough to possess) called a driveway, with a garage at the bottom end of it! It works wonders.

Don't make me laugh!

But allot of people don't have the luxury of having a driveway.

a BMW X5 is 1933mm wide, a 7-series 1902 mm .. BMW X3 is a .. 13 mm wider than a Ford Focus.

Yes, they are getting fatter and fatter. Thanks for that.

And a Focus is wider than an Escort. And an Escort is wider than an Anglia. You can see where this goes... can't you? As people get fatter, they drive fatter cars! The irony is that it's harder and harder to get in and out of them!

Yes, cars as a whole are getting bigger - full marks for spotting that.

But your proposition that "4x4s" are significantly wider than conventional luxury saloons is exposed as completely untrue.

bigger cars tend to be better parked than small ones as there is less room for error when parking.

As people get fatter, they drive fatter cars!

But what I did say is that "fatty 4x4s in cars parks really get me going". Which is a statement of fact that doesn’t preclude fatty 7-series from getting on my tits as well