Owners of the largest SUVs could soon have to pay more for parking in Cardiff.
Councillors in the Welsh capital are set to vote on a proposal that specifically targets heavy vehicles, in a bid to stop them taking up space, and to improve road safety.
Should Cardiff approve the plans, vehicles that weigh more than 2,400kg will be subject to an additional surcharge when applying for a parking permit.
Cars and SUVs weighing in excess of 3,500kg will not be entitled to a permit at all under Cardiff’s proposed City Parking Plan.
Public support for SUV penalties
The move to implement higher parking permit fees follows a consultation held by Cardiff Council at the end of 2024. More than 6,000 residents took part in the study, which addressed a range of parking issues affecting the largest city in Wales.
Two thirds (66 percent) of respondents backed the idea of making the owners of vehicles weighing in excess of 2,400kg pay more for a parking permit.
In time, the proposals would see the weight limit reduced to 2,000kg, in a bid to encourage drivers to opt for smaller, lighter, vehicles.
Somewhat controversially, however, Cardiff Council’s proposal would not apply a weight penalty to electric cars when introducing the lower 2,000kg limit.
This is despite numerous popular EV models, such as the Volkswagen ID.4, weighing more than 2,000kg.
Standing up to SUV ‘carspreading’
The Clean Cities campaign group recently organised a petition to demand parking charges in Cardiff be based on vehicle weight.
It forms part of the organisation’s ongoing fight against ‘carspreading’, a term used to describe how large SUVs are unable to fit within standard parking space. The result is a vehicle ‘spreading’ beyond the bay.
According to Clean Cities, each year some 1.2 million vehicles are sold in the UK that are too large for a standard parking space.
Oliver Lord, UK head of Clean Cities, said: “Cardiff is showing real vision by standing up to the SUV carspreading that’s taking over our streets. It’s only fair that those driving the biggest, heaviest and most polluting vehicles pay more for the extra space and danger they bring.
“This is a common-sense policy that will make our city streets safer, cleaner and fairer for everyone. Other cities across the UK could learn from Cardiff’s leadership.”
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