As of: February 5, 2024, 5:39 p.m
By: Sascha Karowski, Julian Limmer
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Munich debates SUV parking fees (symbolic image).
© dpa
Paris wants to drastically increase parking fees for SUVs.
Is this a role model for Munich?
Opinions on this vary.
It will soon be expensive for heavy cars in Paris: The citizens of the French capital voted on Sunday that city off-road vehicles (SUVs) will have to expect parking fees of 18 euros per hour from September.
That is three times as much as before (see box).
However, the special tariff should only apply to visitors to Paris - city residents and craftsmen are excluded.
There is now also a debate in Munich about whether Paris could be a role model.
Should Munich increase parking fees for SUVs?
After all, the number of large sports and off-road vehicles has been increasing enormously for years.
It has almost doubled since 2019: while 57,331 SUVs were registered in Munich back then, last year there were a whopping 104,699.
Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD) has now joined the debate about SUV parking fees: He thinks the increase like in Paris is “not expedient.” Instead, it must be ensured that fewer cars drive into the city center - for example through better ones Public transport.
“Debates about envy, like the SUV debate in Paris, ultimately only lead to a further aggravation of the tone between road users,” says the mayor.
In any case, municipalities in Bavaria only have very limited options.
In Bavaria, parking fees are regulated in the Road Traffic Act - and the Free State is responsible for this.
This stipulates that parking fees may cost a maximum of 0.50 euros per half hour.
In areas with particular parking pressure such as cities, a maximum of 1.30 euros is allowed.
Municipalities themselves largely have their hands tied.
“If you buy a large car that costs tens of thousands of euros, you can also pay a few euros more for parking.”
However, Munich's mobility officer Georg Dunkel would like more leeway: "Greater freedom of choice for the municipalities would also be sensible and desirable on this topic," he tells the tz.
From his point of view, it would make sense to stagger prices based on vehicle size.
Because: “Cars sit for an average of 23 hours a day and during this time they take up valuable public space,” he says.
In order to really shake up the prices, a “broad social debate” is first needed.
Munich's second mayor, Dominik Krause (Greens), would also find a model like the one in Paris fair - and also socially just: "If you buy a large car for tens of thousands of euros, you can also pay a few euros more for parking." Finally, measure In other cases, such as free drinking areas, the fees are also based on their size.
Katharina Horn from the Federal Nature Conservation Association sees it similarly: “The parking fees in Munich are generally too low,” she thinks.
And if you use more space, you should pay more - after all, space is limited.
That's why she thinks the Paris model makes sense.
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“The size of the vehicle is the completely wrong assessment basis”
However, the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior considers such a grading of prices based on vehicle size to be legally dubious, a spokesman said upon request.
Given the generally rising prices, it was also decided to “defer for the time being” an adjustment to the maximum parking fees.
There are also clear opponents of the Paris model in Munich: “The size of the vehicle is the completely wrong assessment basis,” says Manuel Pretzl, CSU parliamentary group leader and Free Voters in the town hall.
In addition, the prices in Paris are incredibly high: “We reject that for Munich.”