2023-11-15 13:50:09
The socialist mayor of Paris announced Tuesday that a “vote” would be organized on February 4 to decide whether or not to increase the price of parking for the heaviest vehicles.
«I suggest that we change our parking policy, by deciding on a very significant increase in non-residential parking rates for SUVs and 4X4s.»: it is in these terms that the mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo proposed to Parisians – registered on the electoral lists – to participate in a “vote”, which will be organized on February 4. The objective of this citizen consultation? Offer the inhabitants of the capital the opportunity to position themselves “for or against SUVs».
An announcement that occurs in a context “where SUV sales have exploded in France in recent years» as the Paris municipality points out on its website. “With this vote, we want to say stop. Stop the excesses of car manufacturers, who push to buy ever bigger, more expensive, more raw material-intensive and more polluting vehicles.», Explains Anne Hidalgo. Through this vote, the Parisian councilor intends to respond to several issues of security, sharing of public space and pollution.
Increase prices for the heaviest SUVs
Concretely, if Parisians vote “against SUVs», Parking prices could significantly increase in the capital, gradually depending on the weight of the vehicle. This would concern: owners of a thermal or plug-in hybrid vehicle of 1.6 tonnes or more, owners of an electric vehicle of 2 tonnes or more, non-Parisian visitors owning an SUV exceeding the regulatory weight as well as Parisian residents and sedentary professionals owning an SUV exceeding the regulatory weight outside their residential parking zone.
Although the conditions for applying this new measure are not yet fully known, the municipality is already listing certain exceptions. Particularly for Parisian residents and sedentary professionals parked in their residential parking zone, taxi drivers in dedicated stations, craftsmen, health professionals and eligible for the professional rate, PRMs and mobility card holders Inclusion – parking , owners of a thermal or plug-in hybrid vehicle weighing less than 1.6 tonnes as well as owners of an electric vehicle weighing less than 2 tonnes.
A new pricing policy which, if applied – as announced – “in the months following the vote», would take an example from what was voted on but not yet implemented in Lyon. In this city led by elected environmentalist Grégory Doucet, monthly residential rates will increase from 20 euros today to three different rates between 15 and 45 euros depending on the size of the vehicle.
Read alsoAnne Hidalgo will organize a vote to increase the parking rate for SUVs in Paris
A position assumed by the municipality
Using the same method as when organizing, on April 2, the vote for the departure of self-service electric scooters from the capital, the Parisian municipality now wishes to tackle the problem of occupation of the public space by “too big cars“. Without hiding its wish to see them disappear, this position is fully assumed by the municipality, and more particularly by Anne Hidalgo, who assures that Parisians are “very many to tell (him) that there are still too many large polluting cars which take up more and more space in our streets, on our sidewalks and even on our cycle paths»
«We must stem this phenomenon by limiting the presence of SUVs and 4X4s in Paris.», she explains again in a video broadcast on her social networks, admitting to wanting “dire stop» : «Stop the excesses of car manufacturers, who push to buy ever bigger, more expensive, more raw material-intensive and more polluting vehicles.“. And this, in order “to reduce the number of large vehicles» et «thus making our streets safer for our elders, our children, people with reduced mobility».
A position supported by a large number of elected officials from the Parisian left, like the group of environmentalists and David Belliard, the deputy mayor of Paris responsible for the transformation of public space, transport and mobilities, but also the group of communists and Ian Brossat, senator from Paris. On the other side of the political spectrum, elected officials from the Parisian right are much more critical. This is particularly the case of the Changer Paris group, chaired by the mayor of the 7th arrondissement Rachida Dati, who deplores – through the voice of the mayor of the 6th arrondissement Jean-Pierre Lecoq – that the outcome of the consultation “won’t be a big mystery».
«Isn’t security a fairly important subject, for example with a vote on arming the Municipal Police? Why not ask residents for their opinion on the city’s finances when Parisian debt continues to grow?», asks the man who has been mayor of the 6th arrondissement for more than 29 years. He pleads for choosing subjects that “directly concern all Parisians».
#Anne #Hidalgos #project