Industry News from Yes Insurance

Richmond upon Thames council is considering piloting a parking charge which would reward 'green' drivers and punish those with gas guzzling motors.

If the plans are approved by the council's cabinet on November 6th, the scheme would rate cars against a sliding scale which would judge how environmentally friendly they were.

Band A vehicles, which would cost residents nothing to park, would consist of electric cars. Cars in Band B, which include the Toyota Prius hybrid and the Renault Megane dCi 106 diesel, would be subject to a 50 per cent reduction.

Owners of vehicles covered by band C, like the Fiat Panda 1.2, would get a ten per cent discount on the cost of a parking permit.

The popularity of the scheme would be scarce among residents who owned cars in band D however, such as a Nissan Micra 1.4, as they would be charged an additional ten per cent.

Band E drivers, those with cars like the Ford Mondeo saloon, would be charged an additional 30 per cent. Band F drivers, with cars like the BMW 3 Series E90 diesels, can expect to pay an extra 50 per cent.

The charge will hit G band drivers the worst however, as drivers of cars like the BMW X5 4.8 litre, the Jaguar X-type and the Renault Espace people carrier, would incur a 200 per cent increase in the cost of a parking permit.

As well as being cheaper to park, drivers have found that several car insurance companies now reward green drivers.

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