Low-emission parking plan unveiled for the City of London

The body which operates London’s historic Square Mile is introducing a new environmental scheme in the area.

The City of London Corporation has announced that new charges for on-street parking will be brought in this month to promote clean air and reduce emissions, such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter.

The 1.12 mile area covers London’s oldest and busiest streets, and remains the heart of the UK’s financial sector.

Low emission vehicles, such as electric or hybrids, will now be charged £4 per hour while diesel and petrol vehicles will have to pay a higher amount of £5.20. All other vehicles will be charged £6.80 per hour.

Chris Hayward at the City of London Corporation, said: “We have seen other areas of London penalise worst offenders such as diesel cars. We are taking this one step further by not only applying punitive measures for these worst offenders but by supporting and encouraging motorists to consider other modes of transport and switch to cleaner vehicles in the future.”

“The Square Mile is one of London’s busiest areas, therefore, it is only right that the City of London Corporation continues to prioritise providing a safe and healthy environment for its workers, visitors and residents,” he added.

The new environmental tariffs will use the RingGo app to automatically assess the model of car and allow motorists to pay without cash.

Peter O’Driscoll, UK Country Manager for RingGo, commented: “The Government is promoting Clean Air Zones as the best way to influence motorists’ behaviour. But these take several years to set up, not to mention requiring considerable expenditure. With no physical infrastructure needed, RingGo’s Emissions Based Parking provides similar outcomes at a fraction of the cost and can be set up in a matter of weeks.”

 

Photo Credit: kloniwotski/Flickr