Parisians Vote for Higher Parking Fees for SUVs

A street billboard informs the public about the February 4 referendum on parking fees for SUVs in Paris, France, on Nov. 22, 2023. Mohamad Salaheldin Abdelg Alsayed / Anadolu via Getty Images

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Voters in Paris approved an increase in parking fees for SUVs In a referendum on February 4. Vehicles weighing over 1.6 metric tons will have hourly parking fees tripled as the city seeks to become a more bikeable and pedestrian-friendly. The passed proposal also comes ahead of the 2024 Olympics to be held in Paris.

As BBC reported, 54.55% of voters agreed to the proposal to increase parking rates for SUVs, but there was only about a 5.7% voter turnout. 

The approved proposal means that parking fees for SUVs will now total 18 euros (about $19), Reuters reported. This rate applies per hour for the first two hours, then increases. Non-residents parking in central Paris could pay 225 euros (about $243) for parking for 6 hours; by comparison, cars under 1.6 metric tons pay about 6 euros per hour, totalling $75 for a 6-hour park, as reported by The Associated Press. Outside of central Paris, the rates will increase to a starting fee of €12 an hour.

With the passed referendum, the increased parking rates will take effect starting in September.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo proposed the increased parking rates, noting that these larger vehicles “threaten our health and our planet” as well as take up too much space, The Associated Press reported.

The new parking rules do offer full exemptions, including for people with disabilities, taxis, healthcare workers and tradespeople. EVs have some exemptions; fully electric vehicles under 2 metric tons are exempt from the increased parking rates, according to Le Monde.

According to David Belliard, deputy mayor of transport in Paris, the increased parking rates will impact about 10% of vehicles in the city. The fees could bring up to €35 million per year for Paris, Le Monde reported.

Automotive groups, including 40 Millions d’Automobilistes and Mobilite Club France, have protested the SUV parking rates, arguing that these increases will negatively impact families and that newer SUVs are not any more polluting than older, smaller vehicles.

The passed referendum follows a proposal to ban e-scooters in the city that voters passed last year. Mayor Hidalgo noted the high rates of accidents with e-scooters and the failure to dock them properly, leaving them blocking pathways throughout Paris.

The measures are part of larger goals for Paris to become a more environmentally friendly city. In December, the city reported plans to convert a busy roundabout into an urban forest, and last summer, officials announced the final phase of a Seine restoration project that would make the famous river swimmable again for the first time in a century. The city’s Plan Velo: Act 2 further plans to make Paris entirely cyclable by 2026.

The increased SUV parking rate could influence other cities to follow suit; The Connexion reported that Mayor Grégory Doucet of Lyon, France would implement a tiered parking fee structure, which is expected to take effect before summer 2024.

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