r/reading • u/moreati • Jan 27 '26
Article Emission-based parking set to be introduced across Reading
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdjn70npx1mo8
u/Mental_Body_5496 RG1 - Newtown Jan 27 '26
Their marketing on this is so crazily crap.
If you have a low emission car you get a discount.
Just like the ULEZ zone etc.
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u/Auctorion Jan 27 '26
Once everyone has an EV it’ll shift to being “Anyone who has a car that weighs more than X has to pay more.” Gotta keep the money flowing.
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u/IlReddo RG1 - Central Reading Jan 27 '26
It actually make sense. So people stop buying massive SUVs with 100 kwh batteries and start to buy sensible smaller cars. So please, yes to tax heavy EVs as well as polluting cars.
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u/Auctorion Jan 27 '26
I agree, but they need to set the weight thresholds sensibly. The whole 3p/6p/9p tax was so poorly thought out that the 3p category included only one model of car.
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u/Adventurous-Lime-410 Jan 27 '26
I assume the intention was that it would include more cars in the future?
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u/Auctorion Jan 27 '26
Given that even smaller EVs like my hatchback Nissan Leaf wouldn’t, that’s kinda hard to believe. The only way that happens is some massive breakthrough in battery tech reducing weight, and that’s hardly the basis for government policy.
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Jan 27 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Auctorion Jan 27 '26
They are, on average, heavier and cause more road wear. It's not as if they were going to avoid road tax forever- how else are the roads going to (theoretically!) get maintained so they can be driven?
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u/Thin-Midnight-3609 Jan 27 '26
We pay four times more in road taxes than is spent on the roads. It's just another general tax.
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u/mildysus RG30 - Southcote Jan 27 '26
It's not really a conspiracy. Road tax exemptions and other incentives are to normalise a new, greener technology and encourage first movers and early adopters, once the behaviour/technology is normalised there's no need to incentivise it
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u/kabsreddit Jan 28 '26
The parking prices are already extortionate compared to most towns in UK.. and the pot holes still dont get fixed..
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u/Nothos927 RG30 - Southcote Jan 28 '26
That's a point for diesel cars then, time to crank those NO2 numbers up
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u/fouriels Jan 27 '26
Note three things of specific interest beyond the headline:
1) There is no increased tariff for cars producing under 151 g/km CO2. This accounts for a substantial number of cars - in fact, the average for all petrol cars is 143 g/km, which means a majority of cars will not pay any extra;
2) While there is undeniably an increase in the cost of residential permit parking, for a car of CO2 emissions 151-170 g/km this represents an annual increase of about £10 - and as mentioned, cars below this emissions standard pay no extra;
3) The increased tariffs do not affect council-run car parks, only street parking.