By TOM BEDFORD, REPORTER and ELIZABETH HAIGH, SENIOR NEWS REPORTER
SUV owners have reacted furiously to a council's plan to charge them more to park and called for there to be bigger parking spaces.
Cardiff Council's plan to hit SUV drivers with extra charges is 'just another tax' on motorists, according to drivers in the Welsh capital.
The authority is the first in the UK to introduce a surcharge for motorists with 'oversized and highly polluting vehicles'.
Under the plans, drivers with cars weighing more than 2,400kg will pay more for a parking permit and anyone with a car weighing more than 3,500kg will not be eligible at all.
The scheme is aimed at cutting congestion and pollution by encouraging people to walk, cycle or use public transport.
The proposal was passed at a meeting of the council's executive on Thursday. It will also scrap resident permits in the city centre and reduce the number of permits handed to students.
But some road users feel it's part of a plan to drive motorists out of the city altogether, and to get people living in the clogged-up suburbs to get rid of their cars.
The Labour-led council said the cost of any price increase for SUVs would 'remain negligible in comparison to the purchase price of such vehicles'.
SUV owner Leanne Gotobed, 49, a mother-of-four from Newport who works for a construction company building property for the homeless, said if SUV drivers have to pay more they should be given bigger bays to park in
Nicola Perry, 53, of Splott, Cardiff, described the plans to charge SUV owners extra as 'ridiculous'
Under the plans, drivers with cars weighing more than 2,400kg will pay more for a parking permit and anyone with a car weighing more than 3,500kg will not be eligible at all
A spokesman said: 'Cabinet has approved the principle of an additional charge for residential parking permits for vehicles weighing over 2.4 tonnes.
'These heavier vehicles typically produce more emissions, cause greater wear and tear on roads, and critically pose a significantly higher risk in the event of a road traffic collision.'
But disabled driver Nicola Perry, 53, of Splott, Cardiff, said: 'This is ridiculous, it's just another tax on the motorists.
'My car is classed as an SUV but it's only a 1.4 litre engine. I'm going to end up paying more than people who drive a two litre car.
'They think because you have an SUV you've got a lot of money but I'm already struggling to keep a car on the road with the cost of fuel and road tax.'
SUV owner Leanne Gotobed, 49, a mother-of-four, from Newport, who works for a construction company building property for the homeless, said: 'I drive an SUV because it's practical for work and family.
'If they are going to charge extra for SUVs they should give people bigger bays to park them in.'
Hospital consultant Dariusz Tetla, 58, who drives a three-year-old Lexus SUV, said: 'It's a plug-in hybrid so the car may be exempt, I don't know.
Rhys Lewis, 40, the director of a Swiss-based software company, drives an electric Tesla, a Range Rover Sport and has just bought a Smart car for shorter journeys
Hospital consultant Dariusz Tetla, 58, drives a hybrid car which he hopes will be exempt under the new rules
Public relations director Rhys Gregory, 35, from Cardiff, would avoid paying the SUV surcharge in his plush hybrid BMW i8
'I think it's another tax on the motorist alongside low emission zone taxes. We will all end up having to pay more.'
Under the complex scheme Cardiff will be split into three zones, each with its own set of rules along with exemptions for NHS workers and carers.
The city and civic centre area would have no residential permits and an inner area would have a mix of permits and permitted bays, although not for businesses. An outer area would allow permits with variable time zones.
The policy follows the country's controversial implementation of a default 20mph speed limit.
And SUV drivers in the city were unhappy about the prospect of being penalised.
Rhys Lewis, 40, the director of a Swiss-based software company, drives an electric Tesla, a Range Rover Sport and has just bought a Smart car for shorter journeys.
He said: 'We should be encouraging shoppers and businesses to come into Cardiff to keep the city centre alive and thriving.
'We should be doing the opposite to what the council is doing - let's help people to park and spend their hard-earned cash.'
Mother-of-one Sarah Evans, 39, on a shopping trip in her SUV said she will stop travelling to Cardiff if the extra charge is brought in
A man buys a parking ticket from a machine at King Edward VII Avenue in Cardiff after the city council voted to introduce higher charges for SUVs
Dan De'Ath, cabinet member for climate change, strategic planning and transport, on Cardiff Council said the surcharge is aimed at 'American-style SUVs much larger than an average car'
Mother-of-one Sarah Evans, 39, on a shopping trip in her SUV with son Joseph, eight-and-a-half months, said: 'I don't live in Cardiff but I simply won't come here if they are going to start charging extra to park SUVs.
'It's a money-making scheme - there are other things like pollution and emissions that should be taxed first.'
Public relations director Rhys Gregory, 35, from Cardiff, would avoid paying the SUV surcharge in his plush hybrid BMW i8.
He said: 'I think the overall idea is a good one although I think it would be very hard to implement socially as so many different cars these days are classed as SUVs.'
Dan De'Ath, cabinet member for climate change, strategic planning and transport, on Cardiff Council said the surcharge is aimed at 'American-style SUVs much larger than an average car'.
He added: 'We don't think it is unreasonable for drivers of those vehicles to have to pay a little more.'
His comments came as he released a statement that said: 'Our new city parking plan is a vital step towards a stronger, fairer, greener, and more accessible future.
'By listening to residents and businesses we're ensuring that our streets work for everyone - supporting local communities, tackling congestion, and helping us meet our climate goals.
'This plan is about making Cardiff a better place to live, work, and visit for years to come.
'But we recognise that parking is a finite resource and that difficult choices must be made to balance the needs of residents, businesses, visitors, and vulnerable groups.'
