GLASGOW locals have been left furious by the city council’s newest low emissions scheme which will see parking permits increase by as much as 170%.
New city centre parking permit regulation has been proposed which will see permits rise based on CO2 emissions and the cost of second and third household permits shoot up as well.
The city council, which was the first to introduce LEZ (low emission zones) in Scotland, has now proposed the carbon-based pricing for restricted and controlled parking zones.
Residents impacted by the proposal have been left divided but many, who will see their permit costs rising exponentially, have voiced outrage.
One resident in particular has revealed that despite money already being “tight”, they will see their permit cost rise by a whopping 170%.
Pricing under the new proposal will see cars that produce 0-50g/km of C02 emissions, the lowest bracket, cost £80 yearly to park.
Other vehicles will be charged increasingly more, as cars producing 50-150g/km will cost £180 annually and a car producing 150-190g/km will run residents £265 a year.
The top two tiers of the scale – cars producing 190-225g/km and 225g/km plus – will cost residents an eye-watering £280 and £300 respectively.
Additionally, the proposal aims to crack down on second and third permits for residents owning more than one vehicle.
A second permit will cost residents £125, a third £250, and a fourth £375, with these fees added on top of the existing permit prices.
The fees could be avoided through owning an electric vehicle (EV), but residents claim charging points are few and far between and the vehicles are expensive.
The proposal has been met with fury, with some viewing it as a tax on the poor who cannot afford to upgrade to new and eco-friendly vehicles.
One resident took to social media yesterday to share their frustration with the new proposal, sharing images of signs put up around their residence outlining the proposal’s details.
The post was captioned: “I know there’s a load of anti-car folks on here, but hey if you’re like me and must have a car, for a variety of vital reasons, then take note of this proposed extortionate change.
“With there being absolutely no facilities to charge an EV/PHEV – how can they penalise those who still drive an ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicle?
“Yet again, Glasgow City Council seems to be operating with a complete lack of common sense or consideration for its residents.
“Are they trying to drive us all out of the city/make it less desirable to live here?
“My own permit would increase by 170%, at a time when things are already very tight.
“To be clear, I have absolutely no problem with having to pay to park, but this just feels completely unacceptable/nonsensical. Get objecting.”
The post received over 60 likes and more than 190 comments from divided locals arguing both for and against the proposal.
One user wrote: “Whilst probably well intentioned, this is effectively another tax on the poorer members of society, i.e. those most likely to own an ICE vehicle that that’s needed for getting to and from work on a daily basis.
“It’s all fine and well saying that there’s too many cars on the road, and I generally agree, but I can’t see much changing until we sort out our public transport system.”
Another added: “A good start but should be based on vehicle weight not CO2 emissions.”
A third replied: “My wee three door hatchback, six months old, will be £265.”
Another said: “Small price to pay to store your private vehicle on public land.”
A fifth commented: “Got to stop the city going bankrupt somehow.”
