Glasgow West End residents react to hike in parking permit charges

Attendees at Tuesday's North Kelvin Community Council meeting discussed the possible increase in parking quotas, based on vehicles' CO2 emissions.

Stuart Wallace, minutes secretary, explained: "The price of your parking permit will be based on your emissions. If you have a second car, there is even an additional levy.

"We were approached some time ago by the council when they first thought about introducing this.

"Then, we agreed that we could not support this because it discriminates against people who could not afford to buy a new car.

"It’s ludicrous. My car is going up to nearly £300 for the same space."

Christine Alison, secretary, added: "It’s a tax on people who live in a restricted parking zone."

Several participants felt that the new system which would aim to encourage people to drive greener cars fails to take their needs into consideration.

They believe the pricing will only add financial strain.

READ NEXT: Residents to have their say on parking permits shake-up with price hikes

Signs plastered across North Kelvin (Image: Colin Mearns) Cras parked along the road (Image: Colin Mearns)

A member of the public said: "I have a camper van because I don’t fly. I have a car as well, but I don’t use either of them often.

"But I need the car because I care for my elderly parent. Other than that, I cycle everywhere I can.

"I will be penalised for my lifestyle. It’s too short a time to pull this together. I have not even seen any notifications."

Rowena Statt, community council member, remarked: "It’s only going to work if people have a lifestyle to support a car-free existence.

"Me and my husband work, so we need the car."

Stuart Wallace added: "People need a proper integrated travel system. It’s currently cheaper to drive than take the bus. There is no motivation other than them trying to tax people out of their cars."

The community council official also felt the pricing would not accurately reflect the environmental damage vehicles cause.

He continued: "There are cars that seldom move. You could park your car and not move it for a year and it will cost more than £200.

"At the same time, you could drive around a huge diesel vehicle all day, causing environmental damage and pay less.

However, some attendees spoke out in support of the plan.

One resident said the new structure would promote cleaner air in Glasgow.

She explained: "Air pollution increases health issues.

"If we just say no to everything, we will never improve our lives.

"I would be quite happy to pay more for my car to be parked. We should not put individuals in front of legislation. We need to work to improve life expectancy."

(Image: Colin Mearns)

(Image: Colin Mearns)

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council said: “The city’s approach to parking controls can have a direct bearing on how car use is managed, which can support the reliability of the bus system or encourage more people to cycle.

“Under the proposals, the cars that produce the most carbon will pay the most for parking. Like any traffic-related charge, any income goes to support the parking system itself but also a range of roads, transportation and other environmental initiatives.”

“Parking controls can ensure residents park close to their homes while also helping to improve the flow of traffic through the roads network and supporting road safety for all road users.”