Skip to main content

London council to trial diesel-based parking surcharge

As part of its drive to create a greener, healthier city, Westminster City Council in London is set to trial emissions-based charging for diesel cars parking within Marylebone. In a pilot programme to be introduced from 3 April 2017, the charge for pay-to-park bays during normal parking hours will be raised specifically within F zone for diesel cars, some of the heaviest of polluting vehicles. This will apply to visitors into Marylebone, with resident permits remaining unchanged. The surcharge will ad
January 30, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
As part of its drive to create a greener, healthier city, Westminster City Council in London is set to trial emissions-based charging for diesel cars parking within Marylebone.

In a pilot programme to be introduced from 3 April 2017, the charge for pay-to-park bays during normal parking hours will be raised specifically within F zone for diesel cars, some of the heaviest of polluting vehicles. This will apply to visitors into Marylebone, with resident permits remaining unchanged.

The surcharge will add 50 per cent to the current rate of £4.90 per hour in F Zone. Customers are currently able to Park and Pay per minute up to a maximum of 240 minutes (4 hours), meaning charges will be 8p per minute in real terms and 12p per minute for diesels.

Marylebone suffers some of the highest pollution levels in London, given the area’s location, mix of land uses, building density and type, and number of vehicle trips. The ‘polluter pays’ principle aims to reduce harmful vehicle emissions in Marylebone and any money raised will be spent on initiatives to promote sustainable transport.

Marylebone’s location between major transport routes results in a complex urban air quality problem with levels of nitrogen dioxide that exceed recommended health levels and very high levels of particulate matter.

The council believes the pilot surcharge for diesel will also provide valuable insight into how the policy works practically and whether there are positive behavioural changes from it that could be replicated elsewhere.

In 2017, Westminster will also see several green initiatives come into effect in the low emission neighbourhood which will help improve air quality. This includes freight consolidation and a new EV infrastructure with charging points upgraded and increased by up to 20 new outlets, including some rapid chargers. The council is also encouraging more sustainable transport.

Related Content

  • Tolling trends and technology at ASECAP’s Madrid meeting
    May 24, 2016
    As ASECAP prepares for its annual gathering - this year in Madrid - Carole Défossé looks at what is on the programme. At ASECAP’s (the European Association of Operators of Toll Road Infrastructures) 44th annual meeting, known as Study and Information Days, the key theme will be the role of toll motorways in ensuring integrated and sustainable mobility in Europe.
  • Driven to distraction? Call Acusensus
    November 3, 2022
    Trial to detect mobile phone and seatbelt offences results in 216 prosecution notices
  • UK government pledges £6m on chargepoints for ultra-low emission taxis
    February 12, 2019
    The UK government is investing more than £6 million in the deployment of chargepoints to support ultra-low emission taxis across the country. The money will be used to install nearly 300 rapid points and 46 fast ones in 17 local authorities, including Greater Manchester, Brighton & Hove and Leicester. Rapid chargepoints are typically able to charge an EV to 80% in 30 minutes depending on the model’s battery capacity while fast charging is expected to deliver more than 60 miles of range in 10-30 minu
  • Australian capital to trial smart parking technology
    May 3, 2016
    New technology emerging from the ACT could drastically reduce the amount of time that drivers in Manuka, Canberra spend looking for parking spaces. Australia’s ACT Government, in partnership with parking technology firm Smart Parking, has launched a 12 month trial of SmartPark, the real-time bay sensor parking solution, in the Canberra suburb of Manuka.