There’s even more bad news for diesel drivers this week. Islington Council has announced that, from January, it will be charging those with diesel cars £2.00 extra per hour for parking in one of the borough’s 6,500 short stay parking bays. It is encouraging other London boroughs to adopt the same approach.
The parking bays in question currently cost between £1.20 and £6.00 per hour. This will increase to £3.20 or £8.00 per hour for anyone driving any type of diesel car. Unlike other penalties for diesel drivers, which target older vehicles, Islington’s charges will apply regardless of the diesel’s age or how clean it is. This means that the cheaper bays will now cost these drivers more than double what they were paying originally. Drivers of brand new diesels who park up next to more polluting older petrol models, yet have to pay more for the privilege, will no doubt be irked by the new penalty.
Toxic air
The reason behind the parking charge increase is that Islington has been suffering from an increase in toxic air pollution. This is widely blamed on fumes produced by diesel cars. The council wants to protect its residents and plans to do so by reducing the number of diesel cars using its roads.
Encouraging people to purchase cars that don’t run on diesel is a sensible approach to tackling part of London’s air pollution problem. However, many drivers simply can’t afford to upgrade their vehicle right now, even if they wanted to.
(Credit – Oxfordian Kissuth)
Punishing diesel drivers
Many are seeing Islington’s plan as simply another way to punish diesel drivers. The fact that even hybrid diesels, which are much cleaner than many older petrol models, will need to pay the charge is adding fuel to the fire. Those who have shelled out to purchase a hybrid model for environmental reasons will feel particularly wronged.
This is not the first time that Islington Council has targeted diesel drivers. It previously added a £96 surcharge onto diesel residents’ parking permits. This meant that residents with new diesel cars that produce the same level of emissions as older petrol cars are paying more for their permits.
The threat of higher parking charges is just one more punishment to add onto the ever growing list for diesel drivers, who have been targeted by a variety of charges recently. For example, the T-Charge has now been introduced in London. It is costing drivers of both diesel and petrol cars £10 during peak periods. While it isn’t only targeting diesel cars, it is yet another cost that they have to contend with. There are other cities across Europe that are doing the same.
Bad press
Diesel drivers have also had to face bad press over the vehicles that they drive. This has been exacerbated by activists storming ships delivering new diesel cars. Despite the fact that older diesel cars are having a terrible effect on the environment, it is often the case that these cars were bought under advice from a previous government. Now, many drivers can’t afford to just go out and buy a new model, so are having to live with feeling increasingly guilty about a choice that they were officially encouraged to make.
Trying to reduce air pollution is vital. It is something which councils across the UK should be focusing on. However, with some older petrol cars releasing toxins that are just as bad for the environment – and not being targeted with additional charges – it does seem that councils are keen to raise these funds from diesel drivers in particular rather than fairly targeting only the most polluting vehicles (or even just charging everyone on the roads a tiny bit more).
The wrong approach
Antagonising diesel drivers is not necessarily the best solution. Positively encouraging the use of electric vehicles or hybrid models would be far more helpful. Islington Council’s approach, including the fining of diesel hybrid drivers, seems just as likely to spur diesel drivers on to buy petrol models as it does to promote cleaner vehicles.
Implementing a £2.00 per hour parking surcharge for diesel drivers is only likely to cause anger and frustration. If this is eventually rolled out across London, it could potentially make diesel drivers feel even more victimised that they do currently. It could even encourage drivers to turn away from hybrid vehicles in favour of petrol models.
Will Islington Council’s blanket approach work, in your view? Or does the borough need to rethink its strategy and target only the highest polluting vehicles? Leave a comment to share your thoughts.
Profiteering at its worst. Shame on you Islington council.
Disgraceful behaviour on the part of Islington Council , yet another excuse to jump on the hugely false anti diesel bandwagon just to increase their revenue so they can lavish their own pockets. We are heading back to medieval times of the rich slaying the poor !
Ian, is really isn’t disgraceful behaviour, in fact that terminology is frankly excessive. This summer has been as bad as I can remember for pollution and while this is a small step its very welcome and responsive of my local council.
OK So older deisels do polute, as do older petrol cars. BUT there is never any mention of the following,
Transport lorries, buses and of course taxis, sure we need them all, but please dont vilify the deisel car owners.
How the hell are they going to distinguish between witch cars are diesel and petrol!.
Let’s get haulage truck companies to bypass Islington shopping areas so their shops would become empty very quickly,because 99% of trucks are Diesels.
Now that would affect their revenue wouldn’t it! . (Truckers are our best friends ).
The apps now used to pay for parking will automatically calculate the additional cost based on drivers’ number plates.
I agree that this is profiteering on the backs of diesel drivers who already pay a higher rate for fuel which is supposed to be cheaper than petrol. I understand the reasoning behind not wanting older cars on the road but this affects those on a lower income and will help prevent them being able to afford a newer car.
I am wondering if this will go to court as so many people bought their cars on the advice and encouragement of the government only to be penalised. I personally think that it is unacceptable, support in scrapping older cars would be much better. Oh yes, not just against new cars either, not all of us can spend £20k + on one.
How stupid of these ‘Blinkered’ Councils. They sit around with their heads between their legs trying to find another way to punish the motorist and this is discrimination worse than any Hitler. Get off you fat backsides and look to who it is that pays your wages.
Your comments are smack on the head of the nailRoy, Most Councils employ deadheads anyway, that have never done a day’s hard graft in their life except for pushing papers round a desktop and hitting a few computer buttons.
The thing is, I’m still going to buy a diesel for my next car. More efficient, goes for miles, excellent torque, cheaper to run and keep on the road. Its even going to be a VW (my 5th)! Im very lucky that I dont work in a big city centre, but Ive found that my diesels have been most reliable ALL year round and I love my VWs. Surely we havent ignored the fact that electric cars will be running from electricity made by burning fossil fuels??? Stop victimising and start being creative with solutions I say
Very true Linzi P – At the moment no such thing a clean electricity. Dirty diesel generators backing up these wind turbines that we all pay a premium on our electricity bills for.
I didn’t know that about the diesel generators on wind turbines Paul, where does it say that?
And hang on – diesel’s “dirty” in a generator but not dirty in a vehicle? Is that what you’re saying?
And what premium do we pay for wind turbines? Cos this statement is weird, right: “Onshore wind is the cheapest form of new power plant … it plays an absolutely crucial role in keeping consumer bills down”
Source:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/renewable-energy-electricity-new-record-uk-wind-solar-a7972266.html
I have an EU4 VW PD TDI and work up in the high peak, Derbyshire and a stop start system and / or hybrid drive train would not have an impact due to the type of journeys I do and the times I travel at. (early morning / early evening from the outskirts of Derby). Due to the distance and elevation change I doubt a Renault Zoe would make it to work and back on a single charge. EV may well be a suitable solution when Mrs 04 Punto petrol CVT expires. Our dwelling has a 3×5 array of solar panels and we have a drive and Mrs does a cross town commute of 14 odd miles a day.
Corbyn Country. Would you expect anything else. Currently this is just Islington…at the moment. Imagine Nationally and not just Diesel AND cars being the target. The 70’s experience said it all for me.
Only a few years ago the government encouraged us to by diesel cars they should help us to change them now not punish us for following their guidance
Outrageous and too simplistic to be effective, or just an excuse to raise more revenue
If they were just charging older diesel vehicles, I could see the point not that I agree with it because people tend to get the best car they can afford to buy and run be it an electric one, petrol, diesel or a combination of 2 of those, this is just another tax that someone thought up, another case of jumping on the band wagon. Just like Osborne getting the landlords to pay for everything, forgetting that it just gets the landlords to increases the rents.
What do you expect from Corbyn’s, Islington Council. They have always believed in high taxation of the motorist.
Surely this is illegal to single out diesel cars. Yes they can charge for parking but this charge should be for the vehicle using the space not because it is of a particular type. This is victimisation and needs a motoring organisation to challenge it.
As the parent of a child in school in Islington who just this morning I took to the doctor with suspected asthma, I’m delighted at Islington’s decision. It’s the ostrich headed commenters below who should be ashamed of themselves. “Excellent torque” vs clean air? I know who the good guys are here. Good on you Islington.
Targeting diesel car drivers, but ignoring vans lorries coaches, buses and all petrol vehicles is a narrow minded and one could say unbalanced approach. There are also industrial units which pump out pollution which contribute to pollution.
Rod, the charge is for parking. Theres not much parking in Islington streets for Lorries, coaches, buses. For my money as a local resident and an asthma sufferer using my Inhalers much more this year, it seems great idea.
Petrol effects asthma more plus has some really nasty products added to it these days!
NOX many petrols are higher producing that diesels plus your ever so Fluffy islington trendy woodburners produce excessive amounts of NOX along with central heating that’s where your most pollution comes from and you have loads of boats in the canal all using wood burners!
And another thing that holds/creates breathing issues is electromagnetic radiation from like of all electrical useage like buses/traffic lights/florescent lighting/aircon reason why after a thunder storm the air is so breathable as the particles have been neutralised! ions
Sorry your comment re torque simply reveals your ignorance. Better torque means more efficiency less fuel and therefore less pollution not more. Please study the science not the the political dogma.
John, your blanket statement about efficiency reveals your ignorance. Diesel engines are NOT inherently efficient. It depends on their use case. Idling in traffic and moving at low speed in Islington is not their ideal efficiency use case, is it? Higher speed and longer journeys – may be. Not sitting at school gates poisoning children.
Why dont the oil companys make bio diesel
There is no money in it for them, all their technology is to process crude oil, making biodiesel is completely different process, and there is not enough vegetable oil, used or new to run all the vehicles in existance. Just imagine no food production because all the agricultural land is used to produce oil for fuel! all diesel fuel is 5% biodiesel (B5) modern cars can’t run on anything higher as the electronic injection can’t create the higher pressure needed to atomise the thicker vegetable oils. Also the manufacturers don’t make the seals and other rubber components durable enough for pure biodiesel. I still run an old Citroen Berlingo van for this reason, it isn’t fast or powerful but it can run on 30 to 60 % vegetable oil, as could my old TDI Land Rover! Of course I get few tax breaks and have the added complication of keeping records as to how much vegetable oil I use as fuel in case HMRC come calling or dipping tanks! The exhaust certainly smells cleaner than diesel fuel though I have never had it analyzed, perhaps I should but I know I am using a renewable fuel, and I feel better for it! I also drive a Motability car for my mother, Euro 6, stop start technology eyc, and this is going to be penalised as much as my ratty old van?! Madness!
Make it from what? – acres of growing crops that people need for food.
Terrible decision. All the newer diesel models are clean anyway.
By imposing this additional parking charge will result in drivers forced in principal, to find alternative solutions by travelling outside of the borough to avoid paying these ridiculous and greedy rises.
The people who will suffer long term are the shop and business owners whose will find it difficult with their customers being driven to other areas, eventually, businesses will be forced to either relocate or close. Then the council will need addition money to offset the loss in business rates.
Poole council in Dorset have recently and significantly, increased their parking charges and on my last visit, this once busy and popular south coast resort has become somewhat of a ghost town with a large number of shops and outlets left vacant.
Before making these punishing penalties to drivers, why not look at how other countries tackle this problem. Germany has a system where vehicles are issued an emissions sticker, red, yellow or green fixed to the windscreen, and dependent on the rating and are permitted or excluded from entering zones. This method would be a more sensible, fair and a positive option to reduce heavily polluting vehicles from towns.
Three hours parking at an additional £2.00 would give you £6.00 worth of fuel to travel to a less discriminative location and would only add to the overall degradation of air quality.
I do not trust central gov. or local gov. They enjoy terrorising citizens in UK
Good idea but falls way short. Why not remove all the meters and have a blanket ban on any vehicle with an engine including all delivery vehicles and taxis with no waivers for the political classes and their cars. Designate a few streets on the borders for transhipments to/from Islington’s horses and carts that would have to be used for deliveries.Then when the idea spreads to different bordering councils new transhipment street can be assigned. That will then affect everyone living, or working in the borough equally. It will cause excruciating hikes in the cost of everything bought there or produced there but it will be fair to all affected.
A hidden bonus with no cars in Islington the roads in the capital will be slightly less congested and the coastal resorts and beauty spots around and about won’t get any Islington road trippers. Hope my council don’t get such stupid ideas.
Wasn’t long ago Fluffy Islington stamped hard on anyone with an engine bigger than a match box! knew someone there got ripped off by them massively in the end shut there business down.
It is the shocking inconsistency of government advice that really grates– all supposedly informed by scientific evidence. We are increasing adopting the stick rather than the carrot to try and change behaviours and endless punishment through taxes is not an approach to win support. It would appear that the Islington’s punishment regime of diesel car drivers, regardless how clean in reality, is simply a cynical move to increase council revenue whilst this issue has become so topical, fuelled by the media. There is simply no logic behind a sweeping charge for all diesels, particularly as pointed out that many Euro 6 compliant diesels and hybrids are some of the cleanest vehicles on the road. It is an unfortunate reflection of the bully-boy abuse of power increasingly adopted by local authorities to tax wherever possible (look at the latest litter policy exposed last week) in order to raise revenue. The car driver continues to be the ‘low hanging fruit’ and considered by central and local government along with the police as simply the easiest cash cow. I suspect many in local town halls simply cannot believe their luck that the latest scaremongering over the very word ‘Diesel’ has provided the golden opportunity to raise all associated charges with impunity. This is despite that owning a modern, clean diesel has been positively encouraged over the last decade due to its fuel efficiency and being environmentally clean.
Wow! This action stinks. Does the government of the day way back when, not remember their part in actively encouraging drivers to drive diesel cars and actually promised that diesel would always be cheaper than petrol!! Consumers driving older diesel cars are probably only in that position because diesel is still more economical if you do high mileage but cannot afford to buy a new pretty hybrid car. Why can’t those cars be made more attractive to buy! Instead of targeting the problem go for making the solution a better deal.
What would be the legal take on this considering we deisel drivers have only done what government told us to do not so long ago and now that there is a large amount of people driving them goerment now want to hammer us to increase the amount of money they can get from us would like to know if we could reclaim the full market value of our diesel cars from government putting it down to being misold by their advice in the first place
When I bought my latest car, nearly 10 years ago, I bought a diesel, as we were told this was the best car to buy. Now I have to keep my car as there is no way I can afford to change it on a basic state pension. So what are people like me, on a very low income, supposed to do???? This is just ridiculous. I rely on my car to see my children and grandchilren, and to do shopping etc. There are no bus services here. These wealthy politicians should try living like thousands of people who are struggling on a day to day basis. My son has a young family and an older diesel car. He also can’t afford another car.
We are not in the minority. It’s time we stuck together over this. How can they justify telling us one thing and then completely changing it, to suit themselves???
Lesley, your right, the people that make these rules about diesel cars, don’t live in the real world like the rest of us. They have a gas guzzling car provided by the Government as a run-a-round with a chauffeur. No problems where the next meal is coming from, or how to pay the rent or mortgage, They don’t have to pay for the fuel to get to work next week.
A bunch of plonkers that have come out of University with a degree in something useless that gets them a job in government. They don’t even know how much it costs for a bottle of milk.!!
We need higher parking charges for all cars then people might be persuaded to leave their cars al home and use public transport .Less conjestion Less pollution Less problems when driving !!
I feel sure if everyone switched to electric vehicles they would come up with some excuse to charge for them. Nothing more than a revenue earner
funny thing is it will take 20+ years to manufacture enough cars to replace the current fleet
Will us diesel drivers eventually get road tax refunds since we can’t use all the countries roads without being surcharged?
That’s because it’s not “road tax”. It’s vehicle tax (VED). Road tax was abolished in the 1930’s.
It really is time drivers, (and not just those with diesel cars) found some way to protest against the persecution aimed at them. How about rolling road blocks as happened with lorry drivers a few years back, bringing motorways to a standstill by blocking lanes with ‘go slow’ driving.
If I could organise it I would. Enough really is enough. I drive a BMW X3 only available with a diesel engine, the same when I bought one of the first Evoques, no other engine options.
Come on lorry drivers, support us and organise it. I supported you at the time.
I brought a ‘newer’ pre-owned car at the beginning of this year. Of the 23 on offer at the time 22 were diesel.
why dont they ban diesel buses & lorries as well/
Its a parking charge and they don’t park in the street LOL sorry Ron I couldn’t resist it but you are right, in the 70s 10 to the gallon was good at 32 ton, now at 44 ton and the engines being 3 times the size they were plus a bit more, its not much better on mpg and believe it or not the payload is very much the same with the extra 2 axles and cycle guards and the extra length of the trailers soon gobbles up the extra 12 tons and buses accelerating and slowing down at every traffic light and bus stop can’t be doing very much to the gallon either.
add a no fly zone for 2000ltr a mile AC
When are people going to realise that the lies being spread about diesel car emissions are just that, LIES!!!
If one does the research, they will discover that the average reduction in life expectancy for people living in London due to all pollution is 3 months & the life expectancy of the average Londoner is 75!!
Some facts, the 15 most polluting ships, put out more pollution than all the diesel vehicles in the WORLD!
A car travelling at 20 mph emits 3 times the amount of pollution than one travelling at 30 mph!!
2% of pollution comes from growing vegetation!
15% comes from industry.
Then we have paints, aircraft, animals & people etc.,
Wise up people, the biggest reason for penalising car drivers is to give the economy a boost!!
Phill
If you’re going to penalise diesel drivers, there’s more tactful ways of doing it. It would be better to increase the rewards for owning an electric car, to make it desirable, rather than just penalise the diesel the government once lauded. They could achieve this in several different ways. With real income diminishing so many of us cannot afford to buy new electric cars due expensive RRP and depreciation, so what is the answer? Buy a petrol? Oh wait, looks like we came full circle.
Just a means to raise more money they could leave diesel prices the same and lower others
Cynical money grabbing by a council. You can guarantee that the money will just go into their coffers and not be spent on cleaning up the air quality.
The irony is that current euro 6 diesel cars are cleaner than their petrol counterparts ! In fact, only diesel cars at euro 3 or older and without a particulate filter are of significant concern. That means most diesels that were registered before
January 2006. I agree with steps to replace these pre-euro 4 diesels, but they are in a minority on the roads anyway and most are approaching their natural end of life.
This sort of discrimination is what happens when government gives too much autonomy to vigilante local authorities such as Islington.
Specifically, “cleaner” how, John? And in what circumstances? Are you talking about a Mercedes Euro 6 diesel or a Nissan Euro 6 diesel?
Well at least if you’re parked up you are not polluting – so Parking a Diesel car should be free (Diesel user and proud of it!)
It’s nothing to do with air quality or punishing diesel drivers, it’s simply an opportunistic money-grab by an already cash-rich council.
Discrimination is an offence. Take Islington Council to Court.
Who the hell wants to go Islington anyway ? They can put the charge up to £100 per hour it will not effect me or stop me buying another diesel car.
The need to reduce polution in London is to be able to build the extra runway at heathrow
Also if diesel consumption reduces drastically the oil companies will reduce prices as diesel is a byproduct from refineries
Ultimately if oil companies cannot make a profit in this country they will move elsewhere.
If MP’S could not claim expences for travelling, how much would that reduce polution?
When a car is parked, it is not polluting in any way whatsoever! So it’s completely perverse for drivers to be penalised for parking! What planet do some of these legislators come from?
What planet do you come from Bruce? How do you think the parked cars get to and from those parking spaces?
It would be good if they also targeted lorries, buses, vans, taxis and other commercial vehicles but they dare not so they just target diesel cars
Get a steam wagon or traction engine they run on coal and they run at the average London speed 6mph, CAN ELECTRIC CARS TOW CARAVANS?
Yes Victor the Tesla Model X was designed to tow from its conception. The Model X can tow 3,500 pounds to 5.000 pounds that’s 1587.5 Kg to 2267.9 Kg
It never was much to do with pollution, more about raising revenue based on a myth and propaganda. As the article clearly states, modern diesels are cleaner with regards emissions than some of the “Chelsea Tractors” with 2-3 liter petrol engines. we are all being conned to believe that diesel cars are a threat to human life. the truth is as diesels decline and petrol cars increase in towns, Co2 will increase not the other way round. I’m sticking with diesel, it’s more efficient than petrol and therefore uses less of a diminishing resource. the problem with that is government are receiving less revenue in fuel tax.
Shame on you Islington Council and by the way do all of the councillors drive Electric and do they get free parking when (and if) they attend council meetings. I would be interested to know if their discussions ranged as far as other transport using their slice of roads. I was told by a very reputable sales director of a recent British made car that “This diesel thing will die a death when the real truth is known but these no brain members of Parliament are too busy rubbing their fingers together for paper money” another nail in the coffin of those we are supposed to trust!
The moral to the story, is to stay away from London with any kind of diesel operated vehicle,and just deliver goods and food to the outskirts. If the authorities want to be total a*****s about diesels then let the public come for their shopping outside London.!!
Amounts to discrimination which is a criminal offence. Lock the bastards up.
I wonder how much the air pollution in Islington would be reduced if Islington Council removed all the road humps in practically every street in the borough which is not a main road. These bumps force drivers down to 15mph or less when going over them if they do not want the car suspension ruined. Are there some experts out there who can tell us?
You’re so fixated on charging new diesels vs older, more polluting non-diesels. But putting aside the fact that “more polluting” and “less polluting” are too general terms that aren’t specific enough to mean much… isn’t the main purpose of all these additional charges on diesels to discourage future diesel purchases? Those older cars you bang on about will be off the road soon. What we don’t need is in ten years having more ten year old diesels still on the road. That’s the point. I know all you pro diesel readers won’t agree, so I’ll prepare for the downvotes!
Nobody seems to be addressing the issue that the majority of diesel pollution in towns and cities comes from buses, lorries and vans and not from cars.
But they are addressing an issue. Not that one. Yet.
Bangkok (former smoggy city) cured their problem many years ago.Taxis use LPG..most busses and trucks now use NGV (natural gas for vehicles).WHY CANT LONDON TFL ENCOURAGE BUSSES AT LEAST TO CHANGE
Profiteering at its worst. Shame on you Islington council.
Disgraceful behaviour on the part of Islington Council , yet another excuse to jump on the hugely false anti diesel bandwagon just to increase their revenue so they can lavish their own pockets. We are heading back to medieval times of the rich slaying the poor !
Ian, is really isn’t disgraceful behaviour, in fact that terminology is frankly excessive. This summer has been as bad as I can remember for pollution and while this is a small step its very welcome and responsive of my local council.
OK So older deisels do polute, as do older petrol cars. BUT there is never any mention of the following,
Transport lorries, buses and of course taxis, sure we need them all, but please dont vilify the deisel car owners.