Paris Votes to Triple Parking Charges for Out-of-Town SUV Drivers

In a bid to address road safety, air pollution, and climate change, Parisians have voted to triple parking charges for out-of-town SUV drivers. The proposals, narrowly approved in a referendum vote, aim to reduce the presence of "heavy, bulky, and polluting" vehicles in the city center.

Starting September 1st, gas or hybrid SUVs, and other larger vehicles weighing over 1.6 tonnes (1.76 tons), will be charged €18 per hour to park in the center of Paris, and €12 per hour in the rest of the city. The new pricing will also apply to electric vehicles weighing over two tonnes (2.20 tons). However, exemptions are in place for taxis and city residents.

The referendum garnered a low turnout, with just 5.7 percent of registered voters participating. Nonetheless, 54.6 percent of participants voted in favor of the measures. Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, who campaigned for the proposals, emphasized that they were implemented to improve air quality, ensure road safety, and create a better living environment for the city’s residents.

Hidalgo highlighted a study by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which found that SUVs are 20 percent more polluting and twice as likely to cause fatalities in collisions with pedestrians compared to smaller conventional cars. The referendum was closely monitored by other capital cities, such as London, which also face similar challenges in combating the safety and pollution issues associated with SUVs.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan expressed his willingness to adopt successful policies from other cities, stating, "If other cities are doing stuff that works, we will copy them." This indicates that London may consider implementing similar measures in the future.

This increase in parking rates is just one of the many initiatives Mayor Hidalgo has pursued to make Paris more environmentally friendly and pedestrian-friendly. The city has improved its cycling infrastructure and plans to establish a traffic-reducing "tranquil zone" to limit vehicle access to the city center. Furthermore, Paris successfully banned rental electric scooters last year due to an increase in injuries and fatalities among users. The removal of these scooters was met with a sense of liberation and calm, which Paris aims to extend by reducing the number of SUVs in the city center.

By tripling parking charges for out-of-town SUV drivers, Paris hopes to encourage the use of smaller, less polluting vehicles and create a safer and cleaner city for its residents.