Penalise them

[expat]

In a BBC report on Richmond taxing owners of "gas-guzzling" cars more heavily to park outside their homes:

Leafy Richmond is one of Britain's most affluent boroughs.

Its homes are among the highest producers in Britain of the greenhouse gas CO2.

The new Liberal Democrat council is trying to put a stop to that.

Put a stop to which part of that? CO2, or affluence?

[Mailman]

Why dont we also tax those with old cars?

After all, old cars produce more co2 than new cars!

Mailman

[Spacecadet]

But surely when the car is parked its emitting zero emissions... or am i missing something?

[ImNotFromIndia]

You have to pay to park outside your own house? That's sick ...
What is this country turning into?

[Spacecadet]

You have to pay to park outside your own house? That's sick ...
What is this country turning into?

Been happening for a long time in some of the city boroughs. Main problem is that the houses were built in the pre-car ownership times.

The street that I used to live on had a massive parking problem. 3 storey terrace houses, most of them 5 person house shares in a professional area so 2-3 cars per house and no off road parking. If I got home from work after 7pm then more often than not I'd be parking a 5 minute walk away.

[ImNotFromIndia]

... If I got home from work after 7pm then more often than not I'd be parking a 5 minute walk away.

But do you still have to pay?

5 min walk is good exercise ...

[Spacecadet]

But do you still have to pay?

5 min walk is good exercise ...

No it was free, but if it was charged then a few of the lesser paid permies living on the street might have sold the car and gone back to the bus

[AtW]

Why dont we also tax those with old cars?

Already happens - road tax is now based on CO2. Also there is strong correlation between fuel usage and CO2, so in effect those cars with high CO2 pay a lot more in tax via fuel duty.

[Generalist]

Why dont we also tax those with old cars?

After all, old cars produce more co2 than new cars!

Mailman

There is more energy used and pollution generated in making a new car than continuing to use an old car. Could the good folk of Richmond avoid the tax by converting their 4x4s to LPG? Useful if the congestion charge exemption still stands when the CC zone is extended westwards.

[BoredBloke]

"Why dont we also tax those with old cars?"

Why not encourage the replacemnet of older cars - make the company car tax system more attractive and many of the older and more inefficient cars would be removed pretty quickly - like mine!