Research has found that a majority of British motorists would support making owners of large SUVs pay more to park.
In fact, 61 percent of those surveyed would be in favour of tripling the amount charged for parking an SUV.
This follows the decision taken by Parisians last year, who voted in favour of a threefold increase in parking costs for vehicles weighing more than 1,600kg.
Just over a quarter (28 percent) of the UK drivers questioned said they felt all vehicles should be treated the same, regardless of their size.
From Paris with love?
The research was carried out for Startline Used Car Tracker. It found only 13 percent of respondents thought motorists should be able to enter cities in whatever vehicle they choose.
Some 10 percent believe that SUVs are now being unfairly targeted. But 41 percent of those surveyed said they believe SUVs cause unnecessary congestion, with close to a third (31 percent) saying they excessively contribute to air pollution.
Last month, Cardiff Council voted in favour of additional surcharges on parking permits for those who own the heaviest vehicles.
This followed an earlier consultation where two thirds (66 percent) of Cardiff residents voted in favour of making owners of large SUVs pay more for parking.
Growing concerns about SUV size
Following the introduction of higher parking charges in Paris for SUVs, Le Parisien newspaper reported a substantial decline in the number of large SUVs parking on the streets.
Paul Burgess, CEO at Startline Motor Finance, said: “Our findings show there is a pretty strong majority of people who want to discourage big SUVs in their cities because of their impact on the environment, traffic and pedestrian safety. They would like to see action taken that actively discourages their owners from bringing them into these areas.
“We have asked other questions about SUVs in our research and it does appear there are general concerns about them. For example, 37 percent said in July that there are too many on UK roads following research showing they are more likely to cause pedestrian deaths.
“The number of people who are willing to defend this kind of vehicle also appears to be low – just 10 percent in this month’s Tracker believe SUVs are being unfairly targeted.”
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