To welcome Cardiff Council's proposed higher parking charges for larger/heavier cars

[LlynTegid]

Cardiff council are planning to have higher parking charges for larger/heavier vehicles (so including most SUVs). I welcome this, wish it was the case everywhere, though a second best option to the separate driving test I would prefer.

AIBU to welcome this?

Sounds like a great idea. I'd prefer councils to ban big cars from city centres altogether but hey baby steps...

Are they going to provide exclusive bigger spaces for the additional charge?

Sounds like a great idea. I imagine/ hope there will be exemptions for wheelchair adapted vehcles etc to sort out genuine need from the "but I need my big car - or at least I might if xyz" types of whingers who will try hiding behind other people's needs.

I’d rather people with older, more polluting cars paid more.
Is the council providing larger spaces accordingly?

We really need to find a way to wean people back into appropriately sized cars.

I was almost run over by a landrover coming out of its driveway (I live in a town) as the driver had no visibility as he pulled forward. All I could think was that if I’d been a child he wouldn’t have seen me at all as I’d have been below his line of vision due to the whopping bonnet. And no, he has no reason to drive such a massive vehicle, he has two kids and a Labrador, same as me, and it only ever goes on tarmac.

Although at least he was driving forward, don’t get me started on people who reverse out of driveways that they could have easily reversed into …

When this same logic applies to large people taking up two seats on a plane, then I might see some value in it. I can see this affecting EVs more seeing as they are heavier than ICE vehicles.

As someone who drives a massive car I fully support this. My massive car has a disproportionate impact on the roads and other road-users, therefore it's completely fair that I pay more.

I'd have preferred sectioning off parking areas for bigger vehicles so they can all enjoy parking next to eachother.

I think the better solution in time is ai weighing/measuring of a vehicle upon entry and allocation to particular space in a particular (higher) priced and sized section.

It would of course cost more because if the carpark can fit 100 regular spaces or 80 wider spaces, smaller cars shouldn't be paying a split-the-difference price to facilitate running costs.

I'm fed up of adapting to larger cars. Each car should require a minimum of e.g. 2 feet around the mirrors and boot. If your car doesn't fit, you don't park or you pay for 2 spaces.

Jesus I didn't expect that! I thought this thread would be nothing but 'But I neeeed a 2.5 tonne SUV because I've got a dog/it snowed once/I've got a speedboat and horses/there's a pothole/it makes me feel safe' etc. I'm the same - I drive a larger vehicle, it takes up more space, it's more polluting, so fair enough.

And larger roads?

How does it impact others?

More pollution, more dangerous for pedestrians/cyclists, literally takes up more space on the road and in car parks. I drive it because I have to, but I can completely see that it's quite anti-social.

I drive a Landrover. Hate taking it into the city.
We recently got a Fiat500 as we needed a second car as its so much more convenient in tight car parks and narrow streets.

We do live in a Yorkshire village and the Landrover does go off road frequently but visiting London its just the sane as any other SUV... too big.

I think is proposed to be levied on permit parking in streets. Bigger vehicles taking up more curb space so fewer spaces for others.

Most modern SUVs are far less polluting than older, smaller vehicles.

Hope there are exemptions for wheelchair users.

very few small cars will take a wheelchair.

otherwise fill your boots

I would prefer them to sort out the appalling roads in cardiff which have been changed to large cycle lanes making the city centre and close surrounding areas gridlocked for the majority of the time
there have been people trapped in car parks in excess of 4 hrs due to this joy from the labour government

About time. Autobesity is getting ridiculous.

Very very few people actually need a giant SUV.

'Autobesity'.

Good God I've heard it all now.

It's been in the media for quite a few years. I don't know where it originated but I think it's very apt to describe the ridiculous car bloat.

Even a modern ford fiesta is significantly larger than it's predecessors 20 years ago.

So are people, Tbf.

Presumably this won't apply to blue badge holders although there is still an issue if the blue badge holders car is the only family car. We have a 2nd small car but a lot of families only have one car.Neither car is an SUV.

They also do much more damage to the roads as they are heavier.

Blue Badges should cover this.

They might need to get their local parking regs exactly right to make it work well, but fundamentally the system is there.

Yes, this is true.