A million cars sold in UK each year are too big for normal parking spaces
And the numbers are only rising, meaning that new cars are increasingly outgrowing cities and towns, according to Clean Cities.
The campaign network found that 4.6million cars have been sold in the country since 2021 that are larger than an average urban parking space.
The trend for big cars is also concerning because they are more deadly in crashes – due to their weight and tall front ends that can trap people underneath – as well as because of the greater quantities of toxic gases they pump into the air.
UK head of Clean Cities, Oliver Lord, told The Guardian: 'Cars are getting bigger every year – while our streets are not. We need carmakers to prioritise normal-sized cars that can be parked more easily and are less dangerous to people walking around. It's only fair if you want to buy a massive SUV [sports utility vehicle] that you should expect to pay more for the space it takes up.'
Large SUVs – which are over 1.8 metres wide or 4.8 metres long – are too large for most parking spaces, create more potholes, and can be more dangerous for the public, yet they are becoming evermore popular, with a record 1,213,385 cars that were wider than 1.8 metres sold in 2024.
With some cities already cracking down on the vehicles, the campaigners from Clean Cities have issued calls for more charges to be imposed on SUVs in light of the damage they cause to roads and environments as well as the extra space they take up.
Green party peer Jenny Jones, who launched a cross-party anti-SUV alliance last week, said: 'Sales of SUVs have leapt up in the last two decades, yet many urban streets and car parking bays are simply too small to accommodate the increasing girth of these vehicles.
'I like what Paris has done to discourage their use, by charging the largest cars as much as three times more to park. In the UK, Bath and Islington councils have introduced similar measures. The government should encourage other councils to replicate these efforts.
'SUVs pollute and are often owned and driven by wealthier citizens at the expense of those in less wealthy areas. They feel safer to drive, but are much less safe for any pedestrians and cyclists they collide with.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
a day ago
- The Guardian
Australia's time has come to be a green energy intensive export superpower
One really big idea is to take the steps necessary to see Australia become a renewable energy superpower by exporting green energy intensive products such as green iron, green aluminium, green transport fuels and green fertilisers. Australia is blessed with some of the best solar and wind resources with world-best availability factors, and comparatively little of this is needed domestically. These significant resources can be used to make energy intensive exports. The key point to understand is that in the fossil fuel world it is low cost to transport, for example, our iron ore, coking coal, gas and thermal coal to north-east Asia where they are used to make iron and steel. In the net zero world, however, it is extremely expensive to export the renewable energy, and the hydrogen to replace coking coal, which are needed to make green iron. So green iron should be made where the renewable resources are and where the hydrogen is made – in Australia. The change in transport costs flips the economics so that it is logical that more value adding occurs in Australia. The benefits for Australia and the world are enormous. Significant investment is required, many skilled workers are needed, and our productivity will be boosted as the technology and learning-by-doing sees continuing improvement in making these products. The world benefits as well because if we realise our green energy intensive export potential Australia can produce products that will reduce world emissions by up to 10%. Countries that do not have the renewable resources to decarbonise themselves will rely on Australia playing its role, just as we have by being the world's largest exporter of coal and gas combined. Sign up: AU Breaking News email The only downside is that we do not know how quickly countries will meet their international commitments and decarbonise. The faster they do, the larger the opportunity for Australia. Australia as an energy intensive green export superpower is extremely practical. Indeed, its time has come. Continually talking about the superpower opportunity without projects emerging encourages scepticism and sees other countries gain an advantage over us that they should not have. Other countries are starting projects and gaining the learning-by-doing lessons we should be benefiting from. What is needed is for the government to support early projects with 15-30% innovation capital grants, and to provide initial support to make up for the lack of a world carbon price. If you believe in the climate science that fossil fuel use damages our environment, it is ridiculous that products that do not damage the environment are competing with those that do without the latter paying for the damage they cause. While not a necessary component of this big idea, this could all be paid for, with considerable money left over, if Australia introduced a carbon price. This would see Australia decarbonise in an easier and much less costly way than we are now. There are minimal political risks apart from where the government obtains the small amount of money to fund this. The funding is small as only the first few projects will qualify for the innovation grants, and Australia's green energy intensive exports, once we have made a start, can respond to overseas carbon pricing, as will soon apply in Europe with the introduction of its Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, and as is emerging in other countries directly or via increasing green product mandates which have the same effect. Whereas decarbonising Australia involves some politically difficult decisions, what is not to like about Australia value adding more in Australia, with new jobs outside our cities, and a continuing boost to productivity and prosperity? The only downside is talking about it but not taking the steps to bring it about. Rod Sims is the chair of the Superpower Institute. He is an expert advisor to the Treasury's competition taskforce and to the UK's Competition and Markets Authority on digital issues. From 2011 to 2022 he was chair of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- South Wales Argus
The tax implications farmers need to know about the SFS
Its aim is to support Welsh farmers while caring for the environment, adapting to climate change and building resilience to the delivery of public goods and food. The finer details of how the £238m a year budget will be used to achieve these goals have been widely written about, however, what is less known are the tax implications for farmers moving over from the older Basic Payment Scheme. Firstly, farmers who opt to stay in the Basic Payment Scheme will see their payments reduced to 60 per cent of current payment levels in 2026, 40 per cent in 2027, 20 per cent in 2028 and finally zero per cent in 2029. Farmers who choose to participate in SFS from January 1 2026 will surrender their BPS entitlements when they move to the scheme, which would be recorded on their tax returns as a capital loss, and available to set off against any available capital gains in that year, or going forwards. However, those who wish to stay with BPS until its end in 2029, would have to wait until 2029/30 to make a Negligible Value Claim (which results in a capital loss for the taxpayer) instead, as this is the point at which the BPS entitlements would end. Whether a farmer surrenders their BPS entitlements to move to the SFS regime, before BPS ceases in 2029, or they wait for their BPS entitlements to cease to exist in 2029, the end result is a capital loss. The only difference is the procedure to claim the capital loss, and timing of that capital loss, whether it is in the 2025/26 tax year, with the earliest possible surrender of BPS entitlements, or waiting to the end of BPS in 2029/30. Any capital loss could be set against any capital gain in the tax year it arises. If there is no capital gain to set it off against in that tax year, then it can be carried forward to be set against any future capital gains, such as the disposal of an asset. From a tax perspective, farmers need to consider whether it is worth electing for the new Sustainable Farming Scheme in order to crystallise capital losses in 2025/26. If they do not, then the capital losses will not be crystallised until 2029/30. Any capital losses can be set against any capital gains in the same or future tax years. Nick Park is the Director of Cwmbran-based Accountants & Tax Advisors, Green & Co, and a member of the Country Landowners Association (CLA) National Taxation Committee.
Edinburgh Reporter
4 days ago
- Edinburgh Reporter
Edinburgh Council agrees private hire survey
A survey to determine whether there are too many private hire cars in Edinburgh has been approved by Edinburgh councillors. It comes after a group of taxi drivers in the capital handed over a petition to city councillors last month, asking for a review to be carried out. The drivers had also asked for a pause to be placed on issuing new private hire licences while the survey was carried out. But at Friday's meeting of the Regulatory Committee, councillors did not back a Green group amendment that would have called for that. According to council regulatory services head Andrew Mitchell, tendering for a survey would take about 12 weeks, and data collection would take place in the first half of 2026. Taxi drivers passed the petition in to the council last week In a deputation to the committee, city taxi driver Keith Auld told councillors: 'We believe every passenger deserves a professional journey. But we are undergoing unsustainable pressure. 'This is not healthy competition, it is over-saturation. And it is already having real consequences. We need fair, sustainable and regulated competition.' Mr Auld and other city black cab drivers say that private hire drivers, many of whom carry out work for apps like Uber and Bolt, end up undercutting their trade. According to them, this comes down to the lower cost to buy and run a hire car, with the vehicles allowed for use as taxis being very expensive and requiring public hire insurance. In addition, fares for black cabs are set by the council, while Uber, Bolt and other private hire providers have no minimum charge. They also argued in their petition that due to the low incomes drivers get from those rideshare services, many of them work for dangerously long hours. Officers said that 2,982 private hire cars were presently operating in the capital, while 1,090 taxis were also running. Mr Auld said that three new private hire cars were being added in the city every day, and that the number would reach 4,000 'in no time'. After the survey is returned to councillors next year, they may consider putting a cap on the number of private hire cars allowed in the city. In the meeting, councillors were supportive of the idea of a survey, but the committee stopped short of supporting the temporary freeze on licence grants. Green councillor Susan Rae put forward an amendment that would have called for this, but Mr Mitchell said that if the committee voted for it, the law could be broken. He said: 'There is no legal power to issue a moratorium. There would be no basis in law to refuse to consider an application on the basis of overprovision [without evidence]. 'In my view, an immediate moratorium is not something that would be competent.' Liberal Democrat councillor and committee convener Neil Ross endorsed his group's motion, which called for a survey to be conducted. He said: 'It would be helpful if we had a workshop for committee members to discuss other issues and elements of concern around the current numbers of private hire vehicles. 'I would be grateful if that were factored in. I'm proposing that we proceed with the consultation and overprovision survey. 'I'm also proposing that officers are alert to concerns raised by all members of the trade who have issues around long working hours. 'I think this is a sensible way forward, it follows the guidance that we have been given by the Scottish Government, it is a legally robust way of approaching the question.' Labour councillor Margaret Graham put forward an amendment for the city's administration, which asked that any survey look at the number of private hire cars parked in city streets. Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat said: 'I'm probably alone in this committee in having very great nervousness about interfering in the market. 'There is an element with any cap that is introduced with numbers, the danger of creating protected markets. 'I'm uncomfortable with that, from a political point of view, my natural mean is to be uncomfortable with protecting markets. 'I do think the terms of the petition that has been brought here today, about the public safety element, is something that means we should probably consider this. 'I don't for one minute think this is going to produce the information that everyone else seems to think this is going to produce. 'But we're not going to know that unless we carry out an overprovision survey.' The Labour group added the Green amendment to their addendum, and the Liberal Democrat group added a portion of the administration addendum to their amendment. Both positions were tied, and as convener, Cllr Ross made a tiebreaking vote that saw the Liberal Democrat position win out. By Joseph Sullivan Local Democracy Reporter Like this: Like Related
