Cardiff Rugby Attracts Investor Interest as WRU Plans Restructure

Cardiff has just become the first city in the UK to charge owners of larger vehicles more for parking. The idea behind this move is to reduce the number of SUVs and other heavyweight cars on the streets. According to the new policy, owners of vehicles weighing more than 2,400kg will now have to pay extra for parking, while the threshold will later be tightened to 2,000kg for non-electric vehicles.

The new policy is set to bring some massive changes to the Welsh capital’s sporting scene, where matchday parking already requires some strategizing when heading to the Cardiff City Stadium or Principality Stadium.

When planning their matchday experience, most people already give parking some thought. This is especially the case with those who often park in nearby residential and public parking zones. Just as a punter checks the nap of the day before heading to the tracks, matchgoers now weigh up their parking options with similar precision. Now, owners of SUVs and family cars will have another thing to take into account — higher parking prices than for those using smaller, more efficient vehicles.

With the new changes in how car owners are being charged for parking, some fans may now be encouraged to rely more on park-and-ride services or use public transport instead. This could free up some space for owners of smaller vehicles and even help ease congestion in traffic when important matches are taking place.

The new parking policy didn’t come out of nowhere. For quite some time, people not only in Cardiff but across the UK, have been complaining about the rise of large vehicles on the roads. Research has shown that the number of SUVs in the UK went up from 3% to 30% in the past twenty years. It has also been disclosed that over 1 million cars that are too big for parking spots in the UK are being sold in the country every year.

Cardiff city officials also first consulted the public before introducing the new policy, and 66% of respondents agreed that owners of larger vehicles should pay more for parking.

Cardiff isn’t the first European city to start charging higher parking fees for larger vehicles. Paris did the same thing in 2024 and now charges parking for SUVs three times more than standard vehicles.

The overall response to the new policy has been positive. The UK head of Clean Cities Oliver Lord has welcomed the move, saying that other cities in the country should consider doing the same. He added that Cardiff is showing a real vision by standing up to the SUV “carspreading” on the streets.

The cabinet member for transport Dan De’Ath said that other problems with SUVs are that they produce significantly more wear and tear on the roads and that getting hit by this type of vehicle is far more likely to result in a serious injury or death. He added that the new parking charges aren’t just about banning things, but also making Cardiff’s streets safer for everyone.