Parisians voted in a referendum on Sunday on whether large SUVs should be subject to a threefold increase in parking charges as the French capital presses on with long-term plans to become a fully bikeable city.

The referendum, less than a year after city residents voted to ban e-scooters, aims to triple parking fees for cars of 1.6 tonnes and more to 18 euros ($19) an hour in order to discourage “bulky, polluting” cars, City Hall said.

The new tariff would also apply to electric cars of 2 tonnes and more.

“Heavier, more dangerous, more polluting … SUVs are an environmental disaster,” Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Gregoire said on X.

    • TomEnglish
      2·
      1 year ago

      The tariff only applies to diesel and petrol vehicles that weigh over 1.6 tonnes, and electric vehicles that weigh over 2 tonnes. Read the post.

      • rbesfe@lemmy.ca
        2·
        1 year ago

        I don’t think there’s a gas SUV that weighs less than 1.6 tonnes, is there?

        • TomEnglish
          1·
          1 year ago

          Only very few. The only one that comes to mind is the Audi Q3, but it’s actually a relatively safe car with a 5 star safety rating. Still… it’s an SUV.