Parisians are invited to vote this Sunday on the creation of a “SUV parking rate”. The price could be tripled for the vehicles concerned.
More than seven months after the withdrawal of 15,000 electric scooters, the City of Paris is once again attacking transport that is considered annoying for the residents of the capital. It launches this Sunday, February 4, a citizens’ vote proposing a tripling of parking rates for high and heavy SUVs. The Figaro explains all the issues of the consultation in six questions.
What does the proposed measure correspond to?
“For or against the introduction of a specific fee for the parking of individual heavy, bulky, and polluting cars?” This is the question that Parisians will have to answer this Sunday. If the “for” wins, the visitor whose thermal or rechargeable hybrid vehicle exceeds 1.6 tons, or two tons for an electric vehicle, will see the hourly rate increase from 6 euros to 18 euros per hour for the central boroughs (1st to 11th arrondissement), and from 4 to 12 euros for the outer boroughs (from the 12th to 20th arrondissement).
On the other hand, locals would not be affected by this increase: the elected officials at the head of the City of Paris announced that there would be an exception for its residents. Only suburban visitors, or from the rest of France, will be affected. Also not affected by the possible increase: “Parisian residents and sedentary professionals parked in their authorized parking zone, taxi drivers in dedicated stations, artisans, eligible health professionals and professionals, as well as the disabled and holders of an Inclusion Mobility Card – parking”.
What are the arguments put forward by the City?
” The bigger it is, the more pollution it causes,” justified Anne Hidalgo, the PS mayor early in December, also advancing an argument of “road safety”: accidents involving an SUV are “twice as deadly for pedestrians than with a standard car,” according to her. The mayor also highlighted “better sharing of public space,” as large cars were being criticized for taking up more space on the road, whereas cars have gained an average of around 250 kg since 1990.
The WWF qualifies SUVs as an “aberration” in the face of climate change: they are “200 kg heavier, 25 cm longer, 10 cm wider” than a standard car. In addition, they require more materials for their manufacturing, consume 15% more fuel and emit 20% more CO2 than a saloon. David Belliard (EELV), deputy for mobility, estimated an additional revenue of around 35 million euros in case of taxation.
What are the opposing arguments?
The motoring associations have criticized the initiative for many months. “More or less SUVs, the question is terribly ‘amateur’ because the term is purely ‘marketing’ and means nothing”, reacted Yves Carra, spokesman for the Mobility Club France. According to him, “compact SUVs will not be subject to taxation”, unlike family sedans and station wagons. For the right-wing opposition, the Parisian vote “demonstrates the extent of the City’s manipulation, which targets SUVs in its communication while in reality, all types of vehicles are likely to be affected by the standards being voted on”.
As for the pollution accusation, “a new modern SUV” does not pollute “more, in fact less, than a small diesel vehicle before 2011”, emphasized the association 40 million motorists. “If the aim was genuinely to limit pollution, a distinction would be made between petrol vehicles and hybrid or electric vehicles,” acquiesces MoDem deputy Maud Gatel to AFP. The ‘resident’ SUVs in Paris, not affected by the measure, represent 26.6% of the fleet according to the AAA Data agency.
