Diesel drivers forced to pay 10 times more than electric car owners for parking in net zero law changes

In comparison, owners of zero emission vehicles, like electric cars, could pay as little as 70p to park for an hour in the London borough.

The new parking rules are based on how much pollution the vehicle releases with cleaner vehicles paying nothing or very little, while some petrol and diesel owners face enormous costs.

For electric vehicles, drivers would need to pay just £20 for a one-year resident parking permit, and £55 for a business parking permit.

The emissions tiers set out that the most polluting vehicles, namely those which produce more than 255g of CO2 per kilometre, will face the largest costs.

Drivers will be forced to pay £300 for a resident parking permit and a staggering £825 for a business parking permit – both of which last just 12 months.

Some Greenwich residents are being made to pay an extra £280 for parking permits, with prices ranging from £20 to as much as £300.

The emissions-based charging scheme is one of many aims set out by the Labour-run council to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

Councillor Matt Hartley, Greenwich’s Conservative opposition leader, said: “Not content with backing Ulez charges to the hilt, the leadership of Greenwich council is intent on punishing car owners further with these parking charge increases.

“I am deeply concerned about the impact these hikes are having on our high streets and shopping parades – and on household finances, which are already stretched,” The Telegraph reported.

A number of councils around London have started implementing new emissions-based charging schemes to cut down on the use of polluting vehicles.

Hackney, Kensington and Chelsea and Lambeth have introduced rates to charge diesel cars to park and encourage the use of cleaner vehicles.

Greg Smith, who is a member of the Commons transport committee, described the scheme as “bonkers”, adding that it would “punish” local residents and businesses.

The MP for Buckingham said: “Councils need to understand the real world, where real people are trying to go about their lives, get to work, do the family shop and take the kids to school.

“Bonkers policies that seek to punish people that drive what some bureaucrat deems the ‘wrong sort’ of car will both punish their own residents and harm the businesses that rely on cheap and accessible local parking.”

Bob Bull, chairman of the Alliance of British Drivers, slammed the rules, saying it was “climate change lunacy at its very worst”.

Many drivers have been critical of such schemes for targeting drivers with expensive costs at a time when the cost of living crisis is still ravaging people’s finances.

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This scheme is also coupled with the expansion of Sadiq Khan’s Ultra Low Emission Zone, which charges polluting vehicles £12.50 to drive inside Greater London.