More charges on the way

• Richmond votes for CO2-based parking charges
• Manchester to push forward congestion charging
• Congestion scheme could be in place by 2012

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Motorists living in Richmond face increased residents' parking charges, while drivers travelling into Manchester will have to pay by the mile.

London councillors in Richmond last night voted to base residents' parking permit charges on carbon dioxide output. Residents will now face increased charges once the scheme is introduced, which is expected to happen within months

Manchester councillors have also given approval to a report that outlines how motorists should pay for every mile they travel in Manchester city centre. Fees will vary depending on the route and time of day.

The aim is to make the charge fairer than the £8 flat-fee charged in London, although how the scheme will work in practice is yet to be decided.

It's likely to involve satellite tracking, however - something that would form the backbone of a nationwide system of road-user charging. Manchester City Council will be eligible for millions of pounds of funding set aside by the Department for Transport for the development of such regional schemes, and these could be rolled nationwide.