TfL to crack down on SUVs in London: New charges and parking fees proposed
Mon, 23 Mar 2026
Transport for London (TfL) has revealed plans to crack down on large SUVs as part of a new five-year road safety initiative called the Vision Zero Action Plan.
SUVs are “increasingly common on London’s roads and more likely to cause deaths or serious injuries,” says TfL.
It has now committed to assess how to tackle the “safety issues posed by oversized cars”.
The Guardian reports that owners could face charges to drive in London as part of the plans. This would follow other UK regions such as Cardiff, which recently became the first UK city to vote to implement additional parking charges for SUVs.
Cardiff has proposed pricier permits for large SUVs “to offset their additional footprint, road damage and emissions”.
Such initiatives would follow Paris, which in 2024 voted to triple parking charges for cars weighing more than 1.6 tonnes in inner Paris.
The vote was called by mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has argued that SUVs are “dangerous and bad for the environment,” reports the BBC.
A recent study by campaign group Transport & Environment has shown that more than half of cars sold in the UK are too big for a standard street parking space of 4.8 metres long and 1.8 metres wide.
“There is growing evidence about the safety risks of large SUVs, which are becoming more common London’s roads,” a spokesperson for London Mayor Sadiq Khan told The Guardian.
“It’s a startling figure that SUVs are 77% more likely to kill a child if involved in a collision.
“The mayor has asked TfL to undertake detailed analysis of the safety risks posed by large SUVs and their wider impact on London’s roads. This could then inform any future policy proposals in London, or recommendations to government or the sector.”
The proposals are part of 43 actions to reduce risks on London’s streets “more quickly than the rest of the country and equivalent international capitals including New York and Paris”.
Khan said that “every death or serious injury on our roads is unacceptable and we must go further and faster to eliminate this heartbreak across the capital.
“I’m pleased to have the support of vital partners on this new plan to further reduce road danger.”
Clean Cities UK head Oliver Lord welcomed the focus on SUVs. “Cities across Europe are acting against car-spreading. We need fairer parking tariffs based on the weight of the car.
“It’s only fair that those with unnecessarily large SUVs pay more for the extra space and danger they bring.”
However, others in the automotive industry have spoken out against the proposals. "SUVs come in all shapes and sizes, RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding told the Press Association.
“Not all are the Chelsea tractor monsters that rightly raise an eyebrow when people try to drive them down tight city streets.
“Unfortunately, any arbitrary charge is unlikely to deter the ownership and use of the biggest, most expensive vehicles, while also adding an extra cost to families who need a bigger car for legitimate reasons.”
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes added that all cars sold in the UK, regardless of size, are required to meet official safety and pedestrian protection standards.
“Singling out specific cars based on size restricts consumer choice and would unfairly penalise the many drivers who require a larger vehicle for essential mobility.”
Also part of the TfL Vision Zero plan is to make 20mph the default speed limit across London. The default speed limit on bigger strategic roads, such as the North Circular, would be cut from 50mph to 40mph.
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