225 instead of 75 euros for 6 hours: Paris triples parking fees for SUVs

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Residents of the French capital Paris voted on Sunday to triple the parking fees for visitors’ off-road vehicles. The city council announced in the evening that Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s (64) proposal was approved by 54.55 percent. With 78,000 voters, turnout was only 5.68 percent.

Nevertheless, the mayor welcomed a “clear decision by Parisians” for a measure that was “good for our health and good for our planet.” The new rates, from which residents and traders are exempt, will come into effect on September 1.

“Loud, space-consuming and environmentally harmful”

A total of 1.3 million citizens were asked to vote “for or against the introduction of a special rate” for parking in that car category, which Hidalgo describes as “noisy, space-consuming and harmful to the environment”. Parking rates for one hour in the city center will increase from six to 18 euros, and in the suburbs to twelve euros.

The rate should apply to cars weighing more than 1.6 tons and electric cars weighing two tons or more. “The bigger the cars, the more they pollute the environment,” Hidalgo justified this step in December. The opposition and the car lobby accuse the socialist mayor of manipulation. Parisians’ cars are not affected by the increase; the higher rates only apply to visitors. (AFP)

Source: Blick