A London borough council has announced plans to set the price on residents' parking permits according to the emission levels of their cars, meaning that owners of "gas-guzzling" vehicles will pay more to park outside their homes.
Under the plan, the cost of parking the most polluting vehicles could rise from AU$250 to $750.
Households with more than one car would have to pay 50 per cent more for extra permits, so a household owning two high-emissions cars could pay $750 for the first, and $1125 for the second, or $1,875 all up. This is in effect $1,375 more than they currently do.
On the other hand, it wouldn't cost a thing to park environmentally friendly cars.
The proposal is similar to a high emissions congestion charge that emerged in July 2006, applying to anyone trying to drive a high-emissions vehicle from Richmond into central London.
London Mayor Ken Livingstone has said he wants charges to work on a sliding scale - lower charges for low-emission vehicles and higher charges for "Chelsea tractors".
