MOTORING experts today accused the city council of stabbing Edinburgh drivers in the back with plans to hike up parking charges for gas-guzzling cars.
The association also predicted that richer residents who can afford driveways would see their house prices rise, while those with no option but to park on the road would be left with a "huge hole" in their family budget.
Meanwhile, the council's
calculations were questioned today after it emerged that data is based on DVLA national statistics and figures from the London borough of Camden – which has already adopted a similar scheme – rather than tailored to Edinburgh.
The News also discovered some figures in the original report on the scheme were inaccurate, and officials will now supply councillors with corrected data.
It is now estimated that over 11,000 people will pay less under the scheme, with just 3348 residents paying more. The council expects this to result in a drop in income of nearly £44,000.
Bruce Young, the Lothian and Borders co-ordinator of the Association of British Drivers, said Edinburgh was "not an average city" and said the council was "kidding itself" if it thought it would lose money.
City development director Dave Anderson said the policy might influence householders to consider downsizing when the time comes to change their vehicle.
"Although there is potential that such a change could adversely affect revenues in future, it is considered that the benefits to the environment and to the scheme outweigh this potential negative," he said.
But Luke Bosdet from AA public affairs, said: "Parking permit schemes were set up to protect residents' parking spaces from drivers who don't live in the neighbourhood.
"Using the scheme to hit (residents] with a huge 'environmental' increase is not only an abuse of its original purpose, it stabs in the back Edinburgh residents who don't have the funds to switch to more efficient cars straight away."
Representatives from councils in Camden and Richmond – which was the first place in the UK to introduce a "polluter pays" parking scheme – today said it was too early to analyse the impact of the changes, and said results would appear after year two.
It remains unclear whether councillors will back the scheme next week.
Changes would come in by mid-2009 at the earliest, with 2010 or 2011 more likely.
The full article contains 397 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
