London Mayor urged to tackle impacts of SUVs

The London Assembly has voted to approve a motion calling on Mayor Sadiq Khan to help address the impacts of growing SUV use in the capital. Fourteen assembly members voted for, 8 against.

The motion, introduced by assembly member Elly Baker (Labour) and seconded by Caroline Russell (Green) prompts the Mayor to support 3 of the SUV Alliance’s manifesto Asks. In particular, the motion calls on the Mayor to:

• Write to the Department for Transport asking that they update vehicle regulations to introduce tighter limits on passenger vehicle size and bonnet height.

• Write to HM Treasury asking that they introduce a progressive tax on passenger vehicle weight into Vehicle Excise Duty.

• Write to London Councils asking them to explore the feasibility of boroughs charging higher parking charges to SUVs to account for pressure they put on road space and local parking spaces.

London’s streets are a prime example of the problems of Carspreading, the trend towards ever-bigger, ever-heavier cars. Narrow historic roads are clogged by wide SUVs, roads are congested and polluted, and road fatalities and casualties remain stubbornly high.

We look forward to seeing the Mayor’s response, and that from ministers in due course.

You can read more here and watch the full debate (from 5:47:17) here