Why does the Council penalise residents with electric cars? (Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats)

Westminster and City of London Liberal Democrats <info@westminsterlibdems.org.uk>

Why does the Council penalise residents with electric cars?

November 15, 2006 3:31 PM

Cleaner, greener electric cars should be encouraged by the Council, not discouraged

Westminster LibDems today wrote to Conservative leader David Cameron asking him to correct a misleading statement he made about how Westminster council treats residents who drive environmentally-friendly electric cars.

Speaking on the 29 October edition of BBC One's The Politics Show, Cameron attempted to show off his party's supposed green credentials by saying to viewers, "Westminster, a Conservative-controlled council, does free parking for battery controlled cars."

Despite this statement however, local residents who own electric cars have to pay £78 for a parking permit, just like a driver of a polluting old banger with an engine under 1.2 litres in size.

Explaining, local Liberal Democrat Neville Farmer, said, "Westminster does allow drivers of electric vehicles very limited free visitors' parking. They can park for a few hours and are not allowed to return to the same space for at least an hour after that. But this makes it useless for Westminster residents, who need to park their cars for days at a time.

Neville continued, "Westminster residents should come first, and at the moment local people with electric cars are actually subsidising free parking given to non-residents!

"Far from being worthy of a boast from the Conservative leader, it's a half-baked measure that hits Westminster residents trying to live a greener life. I have asked him in my letter to retract his statement and place a correction on the record."