Islington council to roll out diesel parking surcharge

Islington Council is on its way to being the first local authority to introduce a borough-wide surcharge for diesel vehicles using short stay parking.

The charge will be £2 per hour, and will apply to all diesel-fuelled vehicles.

Diesel vehicles are linked with poor air quality and can emit up to four times more nitrogen oxides and twenty times more particulate matter than petrol vehicles.

As an inner-city borough containing several major transport routes, Islington suffers from some of the highest pollution levels in London.

Islington Council already has a diesel surcharge in place for resident parking permits, and will now introduce it to diesel vehicles using short-stay visitor parking.

It estimates that between 25-30 per cent of the 1.59 million short-stay visitor parking sessions are made by diesel and heavy oil vehicles.

The council believes the surcharge, which is due to come into effect in early 2018, will help to discourage the use of diesel vehicles and reduce harmful emissions.

Cllr Claudia Webbe, Islington Council's executive member for environment and transport, said: “We hope that this measure will encourage owners of diesel vehicles to switch to cleaner, more sustainable modes of transport and lead to improved air quality in the borough.

“We should not forget though that air quality is a problem for all London residents and we would encourage other local authorities to consider implementing a borough-wide diesel
surcharge.

“The Mayor of London also has to do his part, and we would like to take this opportunity to reiterate our call to the Mayor for a diesel-free London by 2025.”

The report recommending the surcharge will be considered by the Council Executive on November 23, and is available on the council website.