Norme anti SUV

Anche l'Irlanda, al pari di molti paesi, decide di penalizzare i famosi SUV, gli Sports Utility Vehicles.


Irish Times

SUV resident parking fees set to double in Dublin
Olivia Kelly

Drivers of SUVs (sports utility vehicles) and other big cars are to be charged twice as much for parking outside their own homes as drivers of smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, under proposed new Dublin City Council bylaws.

Owners of vehicles with an engine size of 2,000cc and over will have to pay a "premium rate" resident parking fee of €80 a year or €140 for two years, while those with engines under 2,000cc will pay a standard rate of €40 or €70 for two years, in areas subject to pay-and-display or permit parking.

The higher rate would apply to all SUVs and to most so-called "people carriers", but not to average family cars which usually have an engine size under 1,600cc.

Currently, residents in areas where parking is controlled pay annual permit fees of €35 or €65 for a two-year permit, regardless of the size of their vehicle.

The council management is recommending the change to the 2005 parking control bylaws, on foot of several proposals from city councillors, specifically to discourage the use of SUVs in the city.

In his report - to come before councillors this week - executive manager of the roads and traffic department Tim O'Sullivan recommends that the current bylaws that do not differentiate between sizes of vehicles should be amended.

"A large sports utility vehicle is charged at the same rate as the most economical small car.

"In order to encourage the use of smaller cars, which require less parking space and are generally more fuel-efficient, a premium rate resident permit charge is recommended."

The council's proposal mirrors the recent decision of a local authority in London to triple its residential parking fee on anti-pollution grounds.

Richmond council's charge is based on carbon dioxide emissions and will hit vehicles of 1,600cc engine size and above. It could result in SUV owners there paying £300 (€457) for their annual permits.

Although Dublin City Council's proposed fee is significantly lower, it marks the beginning of a crack-down on environmentally unsound high-fuel-consumption cars, with the Government's plans to change the way vehicle registration tax (VRT) is calculated.

From 2008, VRT will be based on a vehicle's CO2 emissions. This will penalise owners of SUVs and other high-consumption cars.

While the permit changes are the most significant element of the new bylaws, a modest increase in city centre hourly on-street parking charges from €2.50 to €2.70 in the central "yellow zone" and €2.00 to €2.20 in the "red zone" is also proposed.

The amended bylaws will come before the council's traffic and transport committee on Thursday and will then be put out to public consultation before they become law.

Fonte: Irish Independent


SUV drivers to be hit with 15pc more tax in new green plan

MOTORISTS and householders are to be hit with new green taxes.

Owners of gas-guzzling SUVs and bigger cars will pay up to 15pc more in Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT) and road tax. This takes effect for all new cars from the start of next year.

A tax on ordinary light bulbs is also being introduced.

However, the Government's climate-change plans were described as inadequate by opposition parties and environmental groups.

Under the plans outlined yesterday, engine size will continue to play a key part in how much VRT and road tax a person must pay.

A car's emissions ratings will add or subtract an expected 10-15pc from that basic amount.

From January 2008, there will be a flat rate of VRT and road tax on all new cars. But vehicles with high emissions will be hit by an extra 10-15pc, according to government sources.

Those with lower emissions can look forward to reductions on a similar scale. That means there will be a tax carrot for owners of greener cars and a levy stick for those with more polluting vehicles.

As first revealed in the Irish Independent vehicles with most emissions will be levied with biggest vehicle registration tax (VRT) and motor tax.

The announcement was made by Environment Minister Dick Roche who unveiled the new Climate Change Strategy in Government Buildings. The environmental levy on low-efficiency light bulbs will be finalised following a period of public consultation.

And from 2008 the carbon emissions generated by the foreign travel undertaken by government ministers and department officials are being offset by a contribution to a special emissions fund. The Department of the Environment has calculated that air travel by its officials in 2006 would have given rise to a contribution of €5,000.

New 'smart meters' are being installed in all new and existing homes to allow householders monitor their electricity usage.

Mr Roche said the climate measures would account for 80pc of the effort Ireland would need in order to meet its Kyoto obligations.

He said the measures would reduce emissions by almost 14m tonnes. A total of €270m has been allocated under the National Development Plan to pay for carbon credits to make up the remaining 20pc.

However, An Taisce complained that the strategy was "vague, lacking in detail, and with no target dates".

Friends of the Earth described the proposals as "tinkering when what we need is transformation".

Fergus O'Dowd, Fine Gael's environment spokesman, said Ireland missed all its Kyoto targets and had presided over "10 years of broken promises".

Ciaran Cuffe, Green Party environment spokesman, said the new strategy was "too little, too late".

"They have failed to grasp that we cannot simply buy our way out of the problem. The minister has designated €270m to purchase carbon credits abroad and trots out the argument that a tonne of carbon credits purchased in India fulfills our obligations under the Kyoto protocol," he added.

Labour spokesman Eamon Gilmore said Ireland could not hope to reach existing Kyoto targets - much less those set for 2020 - without more ambitious reductions in the energy and transport sectors.

Treacy Hogan