Diesel drivers are being hammered with hundreds of pounds in extra costs simply to park outside of their homes, with Londoners being slapped with the heaviest charges.
New research has found that owners of diesel vehicles are charged up to £250 more every year to park at home as local authorities move towards net zero goals.
More than half of London councils have imposed strict air pollution surcharges in a bid to clamp down on harmful emissions, with diesel vehicles being one of the key contributors.
Data from the PA news agency has found that residential on-street parking permits are more expensive for diesel vehicle owners in 18 of the 32 boroughs around the capital.
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Some diesel drivers could pay hundreds of pounds for parking every year
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London's Hackney Council charges drivers £250 a year to park their diesel cars - the highest amount in the country - although the surcharge is halved for council estate residents and some modern diesel vehicles are exempt.
Other London councils are charging expensive additional fees for parking permits including Islington (up to £220), Merton (£150) and Camden (up to £115).
A handful of councils across the rest of the UK also impose the charges such as Bath and North East Somerset Council (£80) and Brighton and Hove City Council (£62.05).
Luke Bosdet, motoring policy spokesperson at the AA, said permits should help to benefit residents, not hammer people for owning vehicles.
He added: "Influencing vehicle ownership towards greener alternatives is done evenly through national taxation, such as vehicle excise duty or company car tax.
“National car taxes ensure that all drivers are treated equally and are rewarded or penalised for their choice of vehicle.
“Diesel surcharges imposed by councils discriminate against residents who have to park their cars on the street outside their homes, while their neighbours with driveways and off-street parking can have whatever vehicle they want."
The expert described the extortionate parking costs as "simply a council cash grab".
A spokesperson for Hackney Council said the diesel surcharge in 2015 and is designed to encourage drivers to switch to more environmentally friendly vehicles.
Further data from Friends of the Earth found that in 2022, 4.5 million people living in the capital were in areas where air pollution levels were double World Health Organisation guidelines.
As a result, Jenny Bates, pollution campaigner at the environmental organisation, said more councils should adopt these rules to take more polluting vehicles off the road.
Leo Murray, co-director of climate charity Possible, said: “Real-world emissions tests show that toxic NOx emissions from diesel cars in London are on average six times higher than those of petrol cars.
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More than half of London councils operate an emissions-based parking permit scheme
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“We need to start seeing more local authorities using parking policy to discourage dirty private cars.”
