Bigger car, bigger parking charges

Imagine if your rent stayed the same no matter how big your flat was. Absurd, right? Yet, this is effectively what happens when it comes to car parking. In the London borough of Haringey, they’re finally proposing something sensible: charging more for larger vehicles. Residents with cars over 4 metres long might soon pay a 5% or even 10% surcharge for the privilege of parking their bloated SUVs. Bristol, Oxford, and Cardiff are considering similar schemes.

Parking spaces are a finite resource, and they’re stuck in the 1970s. The standard dimensions were set half a century ago, when cars were smaller and leaner. Today’s vehicles have ballooned—partly due to legitimate safety features like side-impact bars, but mostly because of a trend towards oversized, towering SUVs.

There are two key reasons why bigger cars should pay more. First: space. Streets are tight. When one SUV gobbles up more tarmac, it means fewer spaces overall. It’s a basic question of fairness.

{{cta-cycling}}

‍

Second: safety. Big cars aren’t just space hogs—they’re dangerous. The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) has even suggested banning SUVs from cities to protect pedestrians and cyclists. These hulking machines, with their stiff frames, high bumpers, and extra weight, are far more lethal in a collision than a standard car. The data is stark: you’re more likely to suffer severe injury or death if hit by an SUV or van.

Back in 2013, Barnet council faced backlash for raising annual parking permits to £100. Yet, residents there should count themselves lucky. If parking fees reflected the true land value—like housing does—those permits would be far more expensive. Do the maths: with average property prices at £6,668 per square metre and a car occupying about 11.5 square metres, a parking spot could be worth over £75,000. Suddenly, £100 a year looks like a steal.

Given that many city dwellers don’t even own cars, and suffer from air pollution caused by those who do, isn’t it time we stopped subsidising the most oversized offenders? Charging bigger vehicles more isn’t just fair—it’s common sense.

‍

The ethical choice

The ETA was established in 1990 as an ethical provider of green, reliable travel services. Over 30 years on, we continue to offer cycle insurance , breakdown cover  and mobility scooter insurance while putting concern for the environment at the heart of all we do.

The Good Shopping Guide judges us to be the UK's most ethical provider.

{{cta-cycling}}

‍

‍