The drivers of diesel-powered cars and vans will have to fork out an extra 50 per cent more money to park in certain areas of London.
From April, Westminster will become the first council in the UK to charge diesel drivers extra money for parking, as part of an effort to tackle air pollution in the capital.
According to current parking rates, diesel drivers will be charged an extra £2.45 an hour for parking in Marylebone, one of the most polluted areas of Westminster, on top of their existing parking fees.
Westminster city council has said that the extra money raised through the additional parking fees will be reinvested into boosting sustainable transport.
The council also said that if the scheme is successful in changing drivers’ behaviour and reducing local pollution, it will be rolled out to other parts of the city.
Could be rolled out to other parts of the city
Cllr David Harvey, Westminster city council cabinet member for environment, sports and community, explained that air quality is a major concern for both residents and visitors.
He said: “Additional charges for diesel vehicles will mean people think twice about using highly polluting cars and invest in cleaner transport that will make a real difference in the quality of air we breathe and our environment.”
Vehicle emissions, particularly the fumes emitted by diesel vehicles, are becoming an increasing problem in London, which broke its annual air pollution limit just five days into 2017.
In a similar move last week, Hackney council announced that it would ban any non-electric vehicles from parking on several streets in the area’s financial district in order to tackle pollution.
The council said that it will spend a total of £1 million to install a range of electric vehicle charging points on the streets.
