Calls to charge SUV drivers more for parking amid 'carspreading'

Campaigners are calling for much costly parking charges for SUV drivers, akin to those introduced successful Paris.

The proportionality of ample cars successful England's cities is present 10 times higher than 20 years ago, driving greater emissions, congestion and danger, researchers said.

In London, the fig of SUVs present takes up the equivalent magnitude of abstraction arsenic the full borough of Kensington and Chelsea, Clean Cities found.

It wants cities to present Paris-style parking charges for large cars arsenic a mode to enactment disconnected drivers and escaped up space.

Last year, the French superior tripled parking costs for SUVs, from €6 (£5.20) to €18 (£15.60) an hr successful the metropolis centre, which section reports accidental is already denting their numbers.

Oliver Lord, UK Head of Clean Cities, called it "only just that those vehicles that bash much harm wage a just stock of the outgo that nine has to prime up".

"Drivers are struggling to parkland due to the fact that of 'car spreading', portion radical walking and cycling are much astatine risk," helium told Sky News.

"If we privation cities that are safer for children and let america each to determination astir easier, we request to instrumentality action."

In caller years, cars person go heavier, taller, and much powerful, often making their passengers safer successful an accident, but those connected the extracurricular are much astatine risk.

The accidental of a pedestrian oregon cyclist dying from being deed by a car is 30% higher for vehicles with bonnets 90cm gangly than those of 80cm, according to the Vias Institute.

While galore SUVs are electric, larger vehicles drain much vigor and resources than rider cars.

In England, SUVs present relationship for 30% of caller car sales, a tenfold summation since 2002/03, Clean Cities found, with galore excessively large for aged parking spaces.

Ian Taylor, spokesperson for the Alliance of British Drivers, called it "perfectly good and justifiable for a batch of radical to person bigger vehicles", pointing to the information that different vehicles, specified arsenic for commercialized uses, person besides grown successful size.

He added: "It is not just to marque beingness much costly and unpleasant for radical who run specified vehicles."

A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: "This year, the Mayor volition beryllium refreshing his Vision Zero Action Plan to restate his committedness to reducing roadworthy information and responding to caller and emerging risks connected our roads."

Sky News has contacted the government's transport section with a petition to comment.