Paris is planning to triple parking fees for SUVs to 18 euros per hour, but first wants to let the population vote on this.
The city administration said that private car use in Paris has been declining for ten years due to the city’s transport policy. At the same time, the size and weight of the cars have increased on average due to the growing proportion of city off-road vehicles (SUVs). These caused environmental pollution as well as problems with safety and the fair distribution of public space.
The city announced that the special tariff for large cars of 18 euros per hour in the center and 12 euros in the outskirts is intended to limit the nuisance they cause. “This vote should send a message to automobile manufacturers. Their pursuit of profit, which consists of deliberately selling ever larger, more fuel-efficient and more expensive vehicles, is endangering ecological change.” With the vote planned for February 4th, the population can calm down the public space and support a new social model.
Special rate for visitors only
Only visitors should pay the special tariff for SUVs. Residents of the capital should be excluded, as should craftsmen and nursing services. The tariff should apply to combustion engine and hybrid models weighing 1.6 tons or more and electric models weighing two tons or more.
Voting for residents of the capital will only take place in person; postal voting or online voting is not planned. The same procedure was used to vote on the rental of e-scooters in Paris in April. With a very low turnout, a majority voted to ban rental scooters, which have disappeared from the cityscape since September.
30 km/h and more cycle paths
Mayor Anne Hidalgo and the red-green city government have been pushing forward the transport transition in Paris for years. Riverside streets along the Seine were closed to cars and made accessible to pedestrians. The number of cycle paths is growing, new green spaces are being created and 30 km/h speed limits have been introduced almost everywhere in the city.
