A pioneering scheme that rewards owners of electric vehicles with free parking is being scrapped - because it works too well.
Since 2001, the City of London has issued free roadside parking passes to nearly 500 drivers of the zero-emission cars in a bid to encourage other people to buy one. It has also handed out 539 permits for free parking in its car parks.
But both schemes are being axed or scaled down, because commuters are adding to congestion by using the cars instead of walking, cycling or travelling by public transport.
The car park scheme will be scrapped from the end of this year, forcing owners of electric cars already registered with it to pay £2,000 for an annual permit next year. This will increase to £4,000 in 2010 and to £6,396 - the same as everyone else pays - in 2011.
