‘Toxic’ diesels to pay extra £2 an hour to park

DIESEL car owners face a crackdown after one council became the first to charge them more to park their vehicles.

Islington, in north London, said it would raise the price of short-stay parking for diesel vehicles across an entire borough.

The surcharge will cost motorists £2 an hour on top of existing hourly fees, which range from £1.20 to £6.

Claudia Webbe, the council’s executive member for environment and transport, said London was on the brink of an “air quality emergency” and Islington straddles several major thoroughfares with “huge amounts of traffic putting out toxic diesel pollutants”.

She added: “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.”

The measures are expected to be rolled out in January for Islington’s 6,500 short-stay bays. Nick Lyes, the RAC’S roads policy spokesman, warned that the move will “further antagonise drivers of diesel vehicles in the borough” after Islington established a surcharge for residents’ permits in 2015.

He said many families and small businesses would “dearly wish” to switch to a new, cleaner vehicle but they cannot afford the expense.

Mr Lyes also claimed that targeting parked vehicles when other options to boost air quality may be available indicates that council officials “perhaps are more interested in raising revenue from diesel owners”.

A £10 toxicity T-charge was introduced last month in central London – including parts of Islington – for vehicles which do not meet the Euro 4 emissions standard, generally those registered before 2006.