A MIXED reception has greeted plans to hike up the costs of parking permits for drivers of the most polluting cars in Edinburgh.
Motoring groups have attacked the city council's proposals to charge some motorists up to £240 a year more to park outside their homes.
However, environmental campaigners and business leaders have welcomed the proposals – revealed in The Scotsman
yesterday – which would see the cost of a city centre permit rise from £160 a year to £320 for the biggest "gas-guzzlers".
The proposals, the first of their kind to be drawn up in Scotland, will result in motorists facing higher charges for permits for second vehicles. But the owners of less- polluting vehicles will see the cost of their parking permit plummet to as low as £30.
Yesterday, however, Jo Abbott, a spokeswoman for the RAC Foundation, said the proposals would do nothing to reduce congestion or pollution rates in the capital.
"It is a tax on ownership and not on use," she said. "Cars with lower emission rates that are used frequently will contribute more to overall pollution rates than larger cars used to drive fewer miles – and if you are using the roads less, you contribute to fewer traffic jams.
"The charges are also unfair because of their retrospective nature. Many families who need larger cars to accommodate young children will have bought them unaware of these new permit rates."
Bruce Young, the Lothian and Borders co-ordinator of the Association of British Drivers, branded the proposals as a "political exercise."
He added: "I think drivers will prefer to have a new council rather than a new car."
Joanna Mowat, the Tory councillor for the city centre, said: "This is another slap in the face for city centre residents, who already face huge difficult trying to park near their homes.
"The council should be looking at a whole range of measures to improve the situation before even looking at this option, which won't actually punish people for how much they drive their car."
The city council insists that about two-thirds of permit holders will benefit from the new system, with just one in five people expected to pay more for their permit.
There are at present about 17,000 residential parking permits in Edinburgh, although 3,500 have been issued to households with more than one car.
The scheme being considered for Edinburgh was drawn up as a result of a local manifesto commitment by the Liberal Democrats in the city, who formed a coalition administration with the SNP last May.
Duncan McLaren, the chief executive of Friends of the Earth Scotland, said: "We're supportive of what the council is doing as long as it is part of a comprehensive package to improve public transport.
"It's a perfectly reasonable idea to look at bringing in variable charges for permits," he added.
Graham Bell, a spokesman for Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce, said: "We would support any measure that has a positive impact on the environment; however, we would hope that the council also looks at how to improve the parking situation for businesses."
Councillors will meet to discuss the issue on Tuesday.
