The Royal Borough of Greenwich has begun to use a parking payment app to set differing charges for vehicles according to their CO2 emissions.
It launched the initiative last week to encourage people to drive more environmentally friendly cars.
The borough uses the PayByPhone mobile app, which checks registered vehicles against the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s database to check where they stand in ratings of 13 emission bands.
While parking rates vary depending on the location, vehicles with lower emissions receive discounts of up to 65%.
PayByPhone has highlighted the Emitless flexible tariff feature in its app, which can adjust parking charges based on fuel type, CO2 emissions and the Euro 6 Standard.
Embrace the alternatives
Cllr Averil Lekau, Greenwich’s deputy leader and cabinet member for climate change, environment and transport, said: “These changes to parking charges and permit costs will encourage residents and businesses to embrace more environmentally friendly ways to travel, including using public transport, low emission vehicles, walking, cycling and scooting.
“This is a key part of the council’s drive to become carbon neutral by 2030. Air pollution is a risk to us all, and particularly the most vulnerable people in our communities. Strong action like this is essential to protecting the health and wellbeing of our residents and tackling the detrimental impact poor air quality and carbon emissions have on our environment.”
The council said it is taking the step because in 2019 transport was responsible for 31% of the borough’s CO2 emissions, and 95% of this came from cars, vans and trucks. It has a target to become net zero by 2030 and is encouraging people to use green types of transport.
It is also offering discounts of up to 80% on parking permits for low emission vehicles.
