Paris residents are preparing to vote on February 4th to triple parking fees for SUVs in the city. Green activists aim to win this significant vote to combat air pollution. The proposal mainly involves increasing parking fees for heavy, large, and environmentally polluting SUVs.
Targeting the wealthy and tourists
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo announced her support for the parking plan targeting the city’s wealthy and drivers from outside the city. If the plan is approved, street parking fees for an SUV will rise to €18 per hour (594 TL) in the city center and €12 per hour (396 TL) elsewhere in the city.
This measure will apply to heavier vehicles and will not affect parking fees for Paris residents. Hidalgo, stating that French democracy is “in crisis,” argued that the new parking rates would reduce the presence of SUVs and lead to fewer vehicles in the city. So, we can say that environmentalists are concerned about air pollution, while the mayor is focused on revenue.
There is certainty about parking fee increases
Environmental campaigners expect high participation in the vote regarding SUVs in Paris. Surveys conducted so far indicate that the majority of Parisians support this increase. This step could lead other European cities, besides Paris, to consider similar measures for parking usage. Some cities like Lyon have already started developing similar parking tariff systems to reduce the use of heavy sports vehicles.
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