Drivers in Reading, Berkshire, are now being charged for on-street parking based on their vehicles’ carbon dioxide emissions. Reading Borough Council officially brought the new tiered system into effect from Monday 2 February 2026 as part of measures to improve local air quality.
The changes apply to council-managed on-street pay-and-display bays and residents’ parking permits across the borough. (Off-street car parks, including multi-storey and private facilities, are not affected.)
When a driver enters their vehicle registration into a parking app or the council permit portal, the system checks the car’s CO2 rating using DVLA records and applies the appropriate tariff automatically.
Under the new structure, petrol vehicles emitting 151 g/km of CO2 or more will face a 20% surcharge per emissions band on standard rates; diesel vehicles emitting 151 g/km or more will face a 25% surcharge per band. The council says around 50% of local cars are expected to fall into the lowest-price category and see no increase.
Reporting by the BBC and the council says the policy forms part of Reading’s wider drive to reach carbon-neutral goals by 2030. Cllr John Ennis, Lead Councillor for Climate Strategy and Transport, said the measures are designed to protect residents’ health — for example: ‘Good air quality is a high priority for the Council … That impacts on the health and wellbeing of residents, particularly children, older people and those with heart and lung conditions.’ (Reading Borough Council media release, Feb 2026.)
Local critics have argued the fees will hit lower-income workers who cannot afford newer, cleaner cars. GB News reported opponents saying the charges ‘unfairly target’ people who cannot upgrade to electric vehicles. Full details of the tariffs and the council’s parking public notice are available on Reading Borough Council’s website.
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