Authorities in Paris, the capital of France, plan to increase parking fees for large SUVs, making it difficult to drive within the city center.
According to Reuters on the 22nd (local time), Paris city authorities announced that they would hold a referendum on raising parking fees for SUVs in February next year, citing concerns about environmental pollution and safety.
“We need to reduce the number and size of cars in Paris, so we will vote on how much space we should have in Paris for these types of vehicles,” explained Paris Deputy Mayor David Belliard.
Currently, city authorities are trying to impose higher parking fees for internal combustion engine vehicles weighing more than 1.6 tons and electric vehicles weighing more than 2 tons in paid public parking lots in the city. In order to actually enforce this, we plan to check the registered vehicle model and weight through the vehicle license plate.
In a video recently posted online, Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo asked, “More or fewer SUVs in Paris? “This is the question I am asking you in the referendum,” he said. He went on to say that parking costs for SUVs in Paris city centers for non-residents would be increased “significantly,” without providing specific figures.
During his tenure as Mayor Hidalgo, Paris is building dozens of kilometers of bicycle lanes and reducing parking spaces in the city center to limit vehicle traffic.
In particular, the use of shared electric kickboards has been banned since last April for traffic safety reasons.
This increase in parking fees for SUVs is also interpreted as a policy to ensure public safety in the city and respond to environmental pollution.
“This vote is to speak to all those people who continue to use their own cars because they are wealthy,” said Deputy Mayor Belliard, adding, “These people will not be welcome in Paris in a few years or months.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.