Parisians approve of the principle of special parking prices for heavy vehicles

Parisians voted 54.55% in favor of tripling parking rates for tall and heavy cars known as SUVs. In the capital, Sunday February 4, according to the official results of the vote. The participation rate across the capital was 5.68%.

According to the municipality’s project, visitors whose thermal or plug-in hybrid vehicles exceed 1.6 tons, or two tons for an electric vehicle, will therefore have to pay 18 euros per hour for central districts and 12 euros for outer districts. , once the measure is implemented following the decision of the Paris Council. However, residents and professionals including taxis who park in their neighborhood will not be affected.

Annie Hidalgo, when the results were announced at City Hall, indicated that the Sept. 1 petition will be presented for discussion in May. Mayor congratulated A “The clear choice of Parisians” in favor of the measure “Good for our health and good for the planet”.

“What a beautiful evening! » Ann Hidalgo’s press adviser Barthélemy Bolo wrote, on Shortly before the poll results were published.

Low participation rate

Of the approximately 1.3 million registered voters, just over 78,000 voters turned up to vote at one of the 38 polling stations. “For or against the formation of specific rates for parking of heavy, bulky, polluting private cars”. SUVs, an English acronym for “sport utility vehicle”, were specifically targeted, with a combination of characteristics “Passenger Car with Utility Vehicle”and 4x4s.

Some were moved to the rescue “Ecology”To try to approve another “order” of the municipality. The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo (Socialist Party, PS), voted in a primary school on 15^E Borough 6 pm

Also Read | Vote on SUVs in Paris: all the questions raised by this citizen consultation

Fight against pollution and road safety

In the capital, which has already pedestrianized the avenues of the Seine and greened two hundred streets, PS Mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced the fight against pollution, a better distribution of public space and “Road Safety”According to Town Hall, accidents involving SUVs “Twice as deadly to pedestrians as normal cars”.

NGO WWF describes the SUV“interruption” In the face of global warming: This is “200 kg heavy, 25 cm long, 10 cm wide” than a standard car. And they require more materials to produce, consume 15% more fuel and emit 20% more CO2 than sedans.

Also Read | SUVs in Paris: Should we end the big car?

Unsurprisingly, motorists’ associations have criticized the town hall’s initiative. The SUV is “Marketing Name” WHO “doesn’t mean anything”Mobility Club France spokesman Yves Cara responded.

10% of the fleet concerned

For the right-wing opposition, this “Shows the extent of the manipulation by the City, which targets SUVs in its communications when, in reality, any type of vehicle is likely to be affected by the standards submitted to the vote”.

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According to the town hall, the surcharge will concern “About 10 % of Park “ And can bring about 35 million additional income. The vote is the second in the capital, which allowed self-service scooters to be rolled out in April 2023, during which around 103,000 people voted.

This time it is “a little less” of partnership “Only for scooters”But that’s it “Very good result”Anne Hidalgo commented, expecting other votes for “To decide questions concerning our daily life”.

Asked about the importance of report cards “against” criteria, David Belliard, his EELV deputy for mobility, estimated that there was a gap “significant” When votes are concerned “Difficult question, priority not very popular”.

In a press release, the opposition group LR and concerned decided that the vote had taken place “In General Indifference”.

“This very low participation, coupled with close results, is a real rejection of the mayor of Paris, on a step claimed by Anne Hidalgo and her team as symbolic”

says the right-wing opposition.

The results of the district actually follow the political map: opposition to the special rate wins in the lead of the right, while “for” The Left is in the majority led by Horizons.

Also Read | Articles are reserved for our subscribers Vote in Paris: Why SUVs are in the viewfinder

The world with AFP