Islington Council proports to have a pricing policy for its parking permits based on enviromental factors. That is CO2 emissions or engine size, depending on the age of the vehicle.

For a car below 100 g/km or an electric vehicle the permit is free. Between 100 and 110 g/km or between 1-900cc it’s �14 a year; between 110-120 g/km or 901-1100cc it’s �25 a year and so on.

However, if you ride a two-wheeled vehicle (moped or motorcycle) it’s a flat fee of �42, a 14 per cent increase from last year. Almost all motorbikes have an engine size of less than 1,000cc. All cause zero congestion. All require far less space to park and all cause less damage and wear and tear to the roads as they weigh far less.

This pricing is completely unfair. Not only should there not be a flat fee (I ride a 125cc moped as opposed to a motorbike with an engine 10 times greater) but the fee across the board should be greatly reduced. In fact the vast majority should be in the first or second car categories

This is a result of thoughtles pricing and a total misunderstanding of what an enviromental vehicle actually is.

– James Clifford, via e-mail.