Off-road vehicles in Paris/Reuters
Should small and large cars pay the same price for an hour of parking?
The residents of Paris decided yesterday not to.
With a majority of only 54.6%, and with the participation of only 5.7% of those with the right to vote, the residents of the French capital approved the mayor's proposal if they stopped charging large vehicles a 3 times higher price per hour of parking.
The regulation, which received the nickname "Jeep tax", states that gasoline cars that weigh more than 1.6 tons and electric cars that weigh more than 2 tons, from this September, will pay 18 euros per hour for parking in central Paris instead of 6, and 12 instead of 4 euros in the suburbs .
The trams were relieved by being heavier in advance due to the weight of the battery, and because they do not emit pollution from the exhaust.
And so while cars like the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y will be charged the low price, the Tesla Model S and X and most electric cars from Mercedes, BMW and Audi will pay the high rate.
In gasoline vehicles, crossovers such as the Peugeot 3008 and Toyota Rav4, and certainly the Nissan Juke and sedans such as the Citroen Berlingo, will pay the normal rate.
But a Toyota Land Cruiser or Highlander will pay the higher rate.
"The Parisians have made a clear choice. Other cities will follow," said Hidalgo in response, justifying the initiative as a move designed to change the behavior of drivers of expensive, heavy and polluting cars who have not yet made changes in their behavior to deal with the climate crisis.
18 euros per hour of parking?
A cost that owners of expensive off-road vehicles will probably be able to absorb/Reuters
Hidalgo has been fighting to reduce the number of cars in Paris since she was elected, by raising parking rates, gradually banning the entry of diesel vehicles and expanding the network of bike paths in the congested city.
The city has reduced the number of on-street parking spaces to shift more trips to the metro, resulting in a 71% jump in bicycle use since 2021.
However, the numbers installed are relatively low.
100,000 people, 7% of the registered voters, participated in a similar vote last year regarding a ban on the activity of scooter rental companies.
The parking fee is paid only by those who are not residents of Paris and who come to it for work, shopping and recreation.
According to the municipality's estimates, this is about 10% of the vehicles in the city, which will generate revenues for Paris of about 35 million euros per year.
Drivers' organizations in France criticized the decision, arguing that it infringes on the freedom of choice in vehicles and that it is a movement behind "an ultra-urban minority that opposes cars."
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