stephanie
06-24-2008, 12:22 PM
David Williams, Motoring Editor
A pioneering scheme that rewards owners of electric vehicles with free parking is being scrapped - because it works too well.
Since 2001, the City of London has issued free roadside parking passes to nearly 500 drivers of the zero-emission cars in a bid to encourage other people to buy one. It has also handed out 539 permits for free parking in its car parks.
But both schemes are being axed or scaled down, because commuters are adding to congestion by using the cars instead of walking, cycling or travelling by public transport.
The car park scheme will be scrapped from the end of this year, forcing owners of electric cars already registered with it to pay £2,000 for an annual permit next year. This will increase to £4,000 in 2010 and to £6,396 - the same as everyone else pays - in 2011.
Owners of electric cars registering for the first time will not get any discount.
Similarly, only those who currently hold free on-street parking permits for electric cars will continue to enjoy this privilege. Newcomers will have to pay the standard charge of £4 an hour at meters.
SNIP:
In a letter to Nice, Paul Symons, the City's assistant traffic manager, said: "These vehicles are now a common sight in the City. The corporation is, however, concerned the free parking has encouraged car use instead of the use of public transport, walking and cycling and does not consider this to be desirable in the highly congested traffic conditions in the City."
read it all and a couple of comments.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23498569-details/Free+parking+for+electric+cars+axed+-+for+being+too+successful/article.do
A pioneering scheme that rewards owners of electric vehicles with free parking is being scrapped - because it works too well.
Since 2001, the City of London has issued free roadside parking passes to nearly 500 drivers of the zero-emission cars in a bid to encourage other people to buy one. It has also handed out 539 permits for free parking in its car parks.
But both schemes are being axed or scaled down, because commuters are adding to congestion by using the cars instead of walking, cycling or travelling by public transport.
The car park scheme will be scrapped from the end of this year, forcing owners of electric cars already registered with it to pay £2,000 for an annual permit next year. This will increase to £4,000 in 2010 and to £6,396 - the same as everyone else pays - in 2011.
Owners of electric cars registering for the first time will not get any discount.
Similarly, only those who currently hold free on-street parking permits for electric cars will continue to enjoy this privilege. Newcomers will have to pay the standard charge of £4 an hour at meters.
SNIP:
In a letter to Nice, Paul Symons, the City's assistant traffic manager, said: "These vehicles are now a common sight in the City. The corporation is, however, concerned the free parking has encouraged car use instead of the use of public transport, walking and cycling and does not consider this to be desirable in the highly congested traffic conditions in the City."
read it all and a couple of comments.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/standard/article-23498569-details/Free+parking+for+electric+cars+axed+-+for+being+too+successful/article.do