Is London set to put the brakes on SUVs?

Recent figures show there are about 800,000 SUVs in London - a tenfold increase in 20 years

There is no doubt they are very popular but is a city any place for a sport utility vehicle (SUV)?

The vehicles tend to be heavier, larger and more polluting than other cars, and researchers say they are more dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists.

According to the campaign group Clean Cities, the number of SUVs has increased tenfold in London in 20 years from about 80,000 SUVs in 2002 to 800,000 SUVs in 2023.

Calls are increasing for more to be done to reduce the number of SUVs in London, with campaigners arguing that drivers of these cars should pay more to park and use the roads in the capital.

Some councils, including Lambeth in south London, are considering such policies, while in Westminster restrictions have already come into force.

Mum-of-three Nicola Pastore says SUVs are "more of a threat to the public"

Nicola Pastore founded the group Solve the School Run, which is dedicated to reducing car dependency for drop-offs and pick-ups. Mrs Pastore, who lives in Lambeth, says the number of SUVs seems to be increasing all the time.

"SUVs are really dangerous for children," she says. "I'm a parent of three kids all under nine and when we are navigating the urban area there are so many really big cars on the streets and it's really scary as children hit by big cars are at much more risk.

"The really worrying thing is this issue is getting worse as more of these SUVs are getting sold every year and getting on to our streets. So it's getting worse every year.

"We would like the councils to ultimately take action to deter the use and buying of SUVs. The measures available to them are thinking about how they can use their parking tariffs to make it more expensive to park in a city.

"If you have a big car and you are taking up more space and you're more of a threat to the public, you should pay more."

SUVs are used to transport dignitaries in London

Dr Anthony Laverty, from Imperial College London, has carried out research into SUVs. He says they are much more dangerous than smaller cars.

"It is true that there are more of them around. Last year more than half of new car sales were SUVs," he says.

"And one thing our research has focused on is their impacts on road danger. And the summary there is if an SUV hits a pedestrian or a cyclist they are much more dangerous and more likely to kill them.

"We did a review of all of the studies globally, which included half a million road traffic injuries, and that found that if you are hit by an SUV compared to being hit by a passenger car you are 44% more likely to be killed.

"Among kids it's higher - it's 82%. And that makes sense when we think about it. The taller, blunter bonnets mean kids are more likely to be hit in the head or the torso. The real summary is they are much more dangerous to pedestrians and cyclists."

A £25 congestion charge was proposed in 2008 that would have included some SUVs - at the time the charge was £8

There have been moves in other cities to curb the use of the SUV.

Last year, Parisians voted to back a steep rise in parking rates for SUVs in the French capital, tripling them for cars weighing 1.6 tonnes or more to €18 (£15.55) an hour in inner Paris.

The proposals were approved by 54.55% of voters - although turnout was less than 6%.

As far back as 2008, in London the then-mayor Ken Livingstone proposed an increase in the congestion charge to £25 for larger vehicles in the carbon emissions band G, which included many 4x4s.

But Livingstone was defeated by Boris Johnson in the mayoral election later that year and the policy was never implemented.

Paris voted to increase parking charges for SUVs

However, it seems there is now a growing political movement against SUVs, with Lambeth Council considering whether to impose a parking surcharge on "supersize" cars.

Max Sullivan is a Labour councillor in Westminster. What happens in Westminster in terms of parking usually spreads across the capital and across the country.

There they have had an emissions-based parking scheme for the past year, which has increased charges for some but not all SUVs.

"I think we are open to any way which we can improve the street environment in Westminster," he told BBC London. "Right now we are just reviewing the first year of emissions-based charging and that has been very effective at cleaning up the air.

"And it does mean that some of those larger, more polluting vehicles are paying more, and we are discouraging some of those uses and those trips. I think we are making progress, but clearly there is still some way to go."

London Assembly's Transport Committee is calling for more to be done to discourage SUV use

Elly Baker, the chair of the Transport Committee on the London Assembly, is among those calling for more action to be taken.

"London's limited road space wasn't designed for the monster vehicles we are now seeing sold," she told BBC London.

"SUVs are clogging up our street space, making parking difficult, and the increased bonnet height and weight increase the risk of serious injury or death in a collision.

"We should be placing limits on the size of normal vehicles, and exploring increased charges where appropriate."

The Assembly is calling on the mayor to take the following action:

• Write to the Department for Transport asking that they update vehicle regulations to introduce tighter limits on passenger vehicle size and bonnet height

• Write to HM Treasury asking that they introduce a progressive tax on passenger vehicle weight into Vehicle Excise Duty

• Write to London Councils asking them to explore the feasibility of boroughs charging higher parking charges to SUVs to account for pressure they put on road space and local parking spaces

Asked by BBC London about its plans for SUVs, City Hall said: "This year, the mayor will be refreshing his Vision Zero Action Plan to restate his commitment to reducing road danger and responding to new and emerging risks on our roads."

The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders declined to comment - but the debate around SUVs in cities shows no sign of abating.

Additional reporting by Anna O'Neill