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SUVs drivers face increased parking costs in Cardiff following permit change
New plans in Cardiff will charge SUVs extra to park with the aim of freeing up space, improving safety and reducing emissions
Drivers of SUVs and other large vehicles are set to be charged more to park in Cardiff under changes to parking permit rules approved by the council’s cabinet on Thursday.
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The new plans will make Cardiff City Council the first local authority in the UK to impose surcharges for larger vehicles, which campaign groups including Clean Cities argue are “squeezing out space for walking, cycling, and public transport, while also making Cardiff’s streets more dangerous – particularly for children”.
Under the new plans, drivers with cars weighing more than 2400kg will pay more for a permit, – though exactly how much this surcharge will be is yet to be announced – though this will eventually be reduced to 2000kg for non-electric vehicles.
This would mean drivers of cars including some versions of the Audi Q4 e-tron, BMW iX, Range Rover Sport and Skoda Enyaq would be subject to the extra charges.
Eleanor Cooper
Updated: 17 October 2025
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Meanwhile, drivers with vehicles weighing more than 3500kg will not be eligible for a permit.
According to research by Clean Cities, SUVs now account for 30% of the UK car market, compared with just 3% two decades ago.
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A spokesperson for Cardiff City Council said, “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.”
A recent consultation by the council found that these plans polled well among respondents, with 66% favouring the scheme.
Similar parking rules are already in place in Paris, where charges were tripled for SUV-style vehicles last year. According to Le Parisien, the changes saw a two-thirds reduction in heavy vehicles using surface parking within the first three months of implementation.
Dan De’Ath, the cabinet member for transport, said, “We don’t think it’s unreasonable to ask people driving those kinds of vehicles to pay a little bit more for road wear and the extra space they take up. We’re not talking about SUV-shaped cars, we’re talking about very heavy American-style vehicles.”
The new permit changes will be part of a larger scheme by Cardiff City Council, which will also see the removal of city centre permits and students entitled to fewer permits.
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