More than two years after a corresponding change in the law, people in most German cities can still park their cars for around 30 euros a year. “88 cities still only charge 8 cents or less per day for a resident parking permit – although two-thirds of them are authorized by their state government to set appropriate fees,” the German Environmental Aid told the German Press Agency.
The DUH has listed the fees for resident parking in 104 cities, including all major cities and the five largest cities in each federal state. Only 13 of the cities surveyed have increased fees for resident parking permits since the federal and state governments made it possible. The environmental aid speaks of an “absurd subsidization of private cars at the expense of the climate-friendly mobility transition”.
Upper limit tilted a long time ago
In mid-2020, the Bundestag and Bundesrat overturned a nationwide upper limit for resident parking permits of EUR 30.70 per year – since then, states and municipalities have been able to regulate the fees for urban districts with a significant lack of parking space. The state governments can enact fee schedules for this purpose. Bavaria, Brandenburg, Bremen, Rhineland-Palatinate, Saxony-Anhalt and Schleswig-Holstein have not yet made use of this option. According to the DUH, the upper limit of EUR 30.70 still applies here. “Hamburg has raised the fees – but so slightly that no steering effect is to be expected,” said environmental aid.
In the other countries, the municipalities have the option of making resident parking more expensive, but many do not use it. In the largest federal state of North Rhine-Westphalia, only Neuss and Bonn have already decided on price increases among the major cities. A significant increase was discussed in Cologne, but according to the DUH, the decision was postponed.
Other countries charge significantly more
The environmental aid calls for an increase in resident parking fees to at least one euro per day. “Significantly higher fees should be due for particularly large vehicles than for small cars,” according to the DUH in its evaluation.
In its request, environmental aid also refers to the fee schedules in other countries. In the Swedish capital Stockholm, for example, resident parking is extremely expensive. If you want to have a resident parking space in the city center around the old town Gamla Stan and in most of the wider city area, you have to pay 1100 Swedish kroner (around 100 euros) for it – per month. That makes the equivalent of around 1200 euros per year.
In Germany, the new regulations that have already been passed have created a wide range of prices in the various cities. While cities like Bochum (22 euros) remain well below the old upper price limit of 30.70 euros per year, drivers in Freiburg have to pay up to 480 euros per year. According to the DUH, the regulation of the city of Breisgau is “exemplary” because the fees there are based on the size of the car.
