Latest news with #LondonAssembly
Forbes
6 hours ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Oppose Car Bloat, London Assembly Members Tell Mayor
Old Mini next to new Mini. CarSized/montage A majority of Members of the London Assembly—the 25-member elected body that scrutinizes the work of the London Mayor—voted on June 5 to oppose 'carspreading,'the phenonomen of automobiles becoming wider, heavier and taller. This car bloat, also known as 'autobesity,' damages London's roads, said the vote, causing congestion, and putting pedestrians, cyclists and other drivers at greater risk of death and serious injury. Cars are getting bigger by an average of 1cm every two years, with most new cars now too large for U.K. minimum parking spaces. Elly Baker AM, who proposed the motion, said: 'London's streets weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs, which now make up a third of all cars on the road. Their greater size, weight, and higher [hoods] put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads.' She added: 'It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.' The vote was won by 14 votes against eight. The motion states that the 'consequences of surging vehicle size undermine goals for road safety, air quality and put outsized pressure on public finances.' The Assembly now calls on the Mayor to write to the Department for Transport asking that they update vehicle regulations to introduce tighter limits on passenger vehicle size and bonnet height. The Mayor is further urged to write to HM Treasury asking that they introduce a progressive tax on passenger vehicle weight into Vehicle Excise Duty. The Assembly is also calling for London Councils to explore the feasibility of boroughs charging higher parking charges to SUVs to account for pressure they put on road space and local parking spaces. Today's BMW-built Mini is much wider than the British Motor Corporation's 1959 original, and is also taller and longer. Other famous car models—such as the VW Beetle and the Ford Fiesta—have also increased markedly in size and weight. Modern cars are larger partly because of airbags, crumple zones and air conditioning units, but also because consumers prefer larger motor vehicles—hence the success of SUVs. The motor vehicle 'arms race' has led to calls from motorists for road lanes to be widened and parking spaces to be enlarged. Roads in most British cities are becoming more and more choked as wider motor cars struggle to squeeze past each other. There's an epidemic of pedestrian-unfriendly 'pavement parking'—wheels half up on the sidewalk—and tempers fray when wing mirrors are bashed as porkier cars pass each other. Research from Transport & Environment (T&E) in 2022 found that 'autobesity'—car bloat—is real, with many cars getting too big for British roads, exceeding the 180 centimeter minimum for on-street parking. More than half of new cars sold in 2023 were too wide for the minimum specified on-street parking space (180 centimeters) in major U.K. cities. Off-street parking is now a tight squeeze even for the average new car, while large luxury SUVs often make it impossible. Fatter cars are heavier cars. And heavier cars cause more highway damage. Richard Hebditch, UK Director for T&E UK, said: 'The trend of cars getting wider has been progressing for decades and that trend will continue until the U.K. sets stricter limits. Currently we allow new cars to be as wide as trucks. This has meant our roads are now home to big SUVs and American style pick-up trucks that are parking on our footpaths, endangering pedestrians and cyclists and making everyone else on our roads less safe.' Paris voted to triple parking fees for SUVs in February last year.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
London mayor urged to raise SUV parking fees
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to seek to increase taxes and parking fees for SUVs. London Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on him to take action over fears the increasing size of cars is damaging roads, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious injury. The assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle weight. It also wants the mayor to ask councils in the capital to consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce stricter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight against. SUVs have become more popular in recent years, with many drivers preferring the higher seating position. TfL now has 2,000 zero-emission buses in London The bright yellow buggies on the streets of Fulham Anger after SUVs have tyres deflated by activists They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with 12% a decade earlier. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The size increase has been dubbed "carspreading". Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets "weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs". She added: "Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. "It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible." AA president Edmund King insisted it was "up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs". He said: "It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. "Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. "London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change." A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car. The analysis by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated the figure rises to 82% for children. A Mayor of London spokesman said: "The mayor, Transport for London and borough partners are working to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads, by expanding the cycle network, making road crossings and junctions safer, reducing speed limits on our roads, and making larger vehicles like HGVs and buses safer. "This year the mayor will be refreshing his Vision Zero action plan to restate his commitment to reducing road danger and responding to new and emerging risks on our roads." The Treasury has been approached for comment. Listen to the best of BBC Radio London on Sounds and follow BBC London on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to Should you pay more for parking if you have a big car? End to discounts for zero-emission vehicles Should you pay more for parking if you have a big car? London Assembly
BBC News
3 days ago
- Automotive
- BBC News
London mayor urged to increase parking fees and tax on SUVs
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to seek to increase taxes and parking fees for Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on him to take action over fears the increasing size of cars is damaging roads, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle also wants the mayor to ask councils in the capital to consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce stricter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight have become more popular in recent years, with many drivers preferring the higher seating position. They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with 12% a decade are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less size increase has been dubbed "carspreading".Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets "weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs".She added: "Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads."It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible." AA president Edmund King insisted it was "up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs".He said: "It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive."Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car."London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change." A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional analysis by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated the figure rises to 82% for children.A Mayor of London spokesman said: "The mayor, Transport for London and borough partners are working to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads, by expanding the cycle network, making road crossings and junctions safer, reducing speed limits on our roads, and making larger vehicles like HGVs and buses safer."This year the mayor will be refreshing his Vision Zero action plan to restate his commitment to reducing road danger and responding to new and emerging risks on our roads."The Treasury has been approached for comment.
The Independent
3 days ago
- Automotive
- The Independent
Sir Sadiq Khan urged to seek higher taxes and parking fees for SUVs
Sir Sadiq Khan has been urged to seek higher taxes and parking fees for SUVs. London Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on the mayor to take action because of fears that the increasing size of cars is damaging road surfaces, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious injury. The London Assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle weight. It also wants the mayor to request that councils in the capital consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce tighter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight votes against. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with just 12% a decade earlier. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The increase in the size of cars has been described as carspreading. Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets 'weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs'. She went on: 'Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. 'It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.' But AA president Edmund King insisted it is 'up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs'. He added: 'It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. 'Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. 'London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change.' A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car. The analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated that the figure rises to 82% for children. A spokesperson for the Mayor of London said: 'The Mayor, Transport for London and borough partners are working to eliminate deaths and serious injuries on our roads, by expanding the cycle network, making road crossings and junctions safer, reducing speed limits on our roads, and making larger vehicles like HGVs and buses safer. 'This year the Mayor will be refreshing his vision zero action plan to restate his commitment to reducing road danger and responding to new and emerging risks on our roads.'
North Wales Chronicle
3 days ago
- Automotive
- North Wales Chronicle
Sir Sadiq Khan urged to seek higher taxes and parking fees for SUVs
London Assembly Members agreed a motion calling on the mayor to take action because of fears that the increasing size of cars is damaging road surfaces, causing congestion and putting other road users at greater risk of death and serious injury. The London Assembly called on Sir Sadiq to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty to include a tax based on vehicle weight. It also wants the mayor to request that councils in the capital consider charging more for parking larger cars, and to call on the Department for Transport to introduce tighter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles. The motion was agreed by 14 votes in favour and eight votes against. SUVs have grown in popularity in recent years, with many drivers favouring their higher seating position. They accounted for a third of all new car registrations in the UK last year, compared with just 12% a decade earlier. SUVs are generally taller, wider and heavier than traditional cars, and less fuel-efficient. The increase in the size of cars has been described as carspreading. Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker, who proposed the motion, said the capital's streets 'weren't designed for larger vehicles like SUVs'. She went on: 'Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. 'It's time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.' But AA president Edmund King insisted it is 'up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs'. He added: 'It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. 'Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. 'London's streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change.' A recent study found pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if they are hit by an SUV or similar-sized vehicle rather than a traditional car. The analysis produced by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College London stated that the figure rises to 82% for children.
