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Challenge to drivers
• I WANT to set the record straight on our green parking policy (Green tax is parking mad, November 16). First, we have always been absolutely clear that we designed the new system to be revenue neutral, which means the council does not stand to make any money out of it.
Under the new system, the vast majority of Islington residents – two-thirds – pay less for their parking permits. The suggestion that it is an income generator for the council is simply not true.
We have also always been clear that there will be some winners and some losers under the new policy because this is, after all, a ‘green’ parking policy.
It’s based on the principle that the polluter pays more, and we’ve designed it to reward those who drive less-polluting cars by giving them cheaper parking permits.
The whole point is to challenge people to think about the cars that they drive and the impact on the environment.
We are charging vehicles before 2001 on the basis of engine size – as are Lambeth, Richmond and Camden, which have introduced green parking systems, and so is Mayor of London Ken Livingstone for his congestion charge.
It is widely accepted that this is the most consistent and reliable indicator for carbon emissions in older vehicles, which is why we use it.
We held a referendum on this issue precisely because we believe in sharing important decisions with local people, and we recognised that this policy is controversial and affects everyone, whether they drive a car or not.
We were right to do so, because when we balloted every household on the electoral roll, to ask them whether they thought owners of polluting vehicles should pay more for their permits, the response rate was almost as high as the local elections.
So finally, I’d like to remind the Tribune that the reason we introduced green parking is because we listened to the majority of local people, who supported this policy and told us ‘yes’.
CLLR LUCY WATT
Lib Dem executive member for environment
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