Reading motorists facing pollution charges for parking
The more polluting your car the more you'll pay
Last updated 17th Jan 2025
Higher polluting vehicles will cost more to park in Reading under new proposals being considered by the Council as part of its ongoing drive to improve local air quality and the health of residents.
The proposed charges for on-street parking and resident parking permits would vary depending on a vehicle’s emissions. A sliding scale of parking tariffs based on a vehicle’s emissions rating would be introduced, meaning the less polluting the vehicle, the less you pay.
Emission-based car parking charges will be made possible by a necessary upgrade of on-street pay and display machines which will also enable easier and more convenient ways to pay.
The Council’s current on-street pay and display machines are now reaching their end of life and their replacement will allow the introduction of emission-based parking charges.
Under the proposed scheme, drivers wishing to park in a pay and display zone would need to enter their vehicle’s registration details into the machine, which would then access DVLA information about the vehicle’s emission rating and charge accordingly.
Charges for residents’ and other types of parking permit will also vary according to the vehicle’s emissions.
Damaging to vulnerable individuals
Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said:
“Petrol and diesel vehicles emit pollution which can be particularly damaging to vulnerable individuals such as children, older people and individuals with lung and heart conditions.
“We know that transport accounts for around 30% of all carbon emissions nationally and the Council is aiming to improve air quality in Reading by encouraging the use of low emission vehicles, public transport, cycling and walking.
“Emission-based parking charges means those motorists with higher polluting vehicles pay more, while those with lower or zero emission vehicles pay less.
“The introduction of modern new pay and display machines also offer easier and more convenient ways to pay for on-street parking and ends the need for unnecessary paper tickets and, for the first time in Reading, the ability to pay conveniently for parking using a bank card or mobile phone.
“We have seen similar schemes successfully introduced by councils around the country. Alongside the Council’s major investment in faster and cheaper public transport, we believe it is an effective way of helping to reduce the number of high emission vehicles, while improving air quality, benefitting health and helping achieve our ambitions to be a net zero borough.”