Fee increase for big cars in London

LONDON - A London council is planning to charge residents who drive gas-guzzling cars significantly more for permits to park outside their homes in a bid to tackle pollution.

Liberal Democrat-controlled Richmond Borough Council said it was proposing to introduce a charging structure based on a car's carbon dioxide emissions while those with two vehicles would also be hit with a 50 per cent surcharge.

Environmentally friendly cars such as petrol-electric hybrids would not have to pay for a permit at all.

"If you've got an electric car you'll pay nothing, if you've got a small car you might go down by 50 per cent, if you have an average car your charge will probably go down a bit or up a bit," council leader Serge Lourie said.

"But if you've got a large car we'll be charging you significantly more. And if you've got a large Jag, for example, you'll be paying 200 per cent more."

The move comes after Liberal Democrat leader Menzies Campbell won backing for punitive environmental tax plans at the party's conference last month, putting green issues at the forefront of its future policies.

It also echoes plans by London mayor Ken Livingstone to hike the capital's congestion charge for drivers of large sports utility vehicles to as much as £25 ($71) a day.

- REUTERS