SUVs should pay higher tax & parking fees, London Assembly says

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June 9, 2025
3 min read

SUVs should pay higher tax & parking fees, London Assembly says

Sir Sadiq Khan is being called upon to raise taxes and parking fees for SUVs. Members of the London Assembly agreed on a motion calling on the mayor to take action due to fears that larger vehicles are more damaging to road surfaces, create more congestion, and put vulnerable road users at a higher risk of serious injury or death.

The London Assembly called on the mayor to ask the Treasury to amend vehicle excise duty (VED) to include a tax based on the weight of a vehicle. It has also called on the mayor to request councils to consider higher parking fees for larger vehicles, and the Department for Transport to introduce stricter limits on the size and bonnet height of passenger vehicles due to the risk to pedestrian safety. 14 voted in favour of the motion while eight voted against it.

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SUVs have seen an increase in popularity in recent years, accounting for a third of all new car registrations in the country last year, compared with only 12% a decade earlier. They are traditionally larger and heavier than saloons, estates, or hatchbacks, use more fuel, and pose a greater risk to pedestrians and other road users.

Research from has found that pedestrians and cyclists are 44% more likely to die if hit by SUVs compared with traditional cars. For children, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Imperial College have found that that figure rises to 82%.

London’s streets “weren’t designed for larger vehicles like SUVs,” Labour London Assembly Member Elly Baker said. “Their greater size, weight, and higher bonnets put vulnerable road users at greater risk, reduce available parking spaces, and cause more wear and tear on our roads. It’s time we took sensible steps to manage the impact of oversized cars and ensure our streets remain safe and accessible for everyone.”

But the AA disagrees. It should be “up to Londoners to choose the type of vehicle that best fulfils their needs,” AA president Edmund King said. “It is not really the role of the London Assembly to dictate what cars individuals should drive. Some larger families may well need bigger vehicles with more passenger seats, whereas a driver conducting most trips alone may well choose a city car. London’s streets were developed around the horse and cart, so of course our infrastructure needs modernising to keep up with change.”

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