Paris vote
The citizens of Paris have voted to increase parking fees for SUVs. The official tally showed support from 54,55% of voters and according to Paris' mayor Anne Hidalgo, "Parisians have made a clear choice … other cities will follow".
The new parking tarriffs will come into effect in September and will raise the price to €18 per hour in the heart of Paris and slightly less in the suburbs, according to Paris' own website.
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Other cities following suit?
According to the Guardian, Paris follows in the footsteps of cities like Lyon and German town Tübingen with other major cities such as London, Amsterdam, Hanover etc. following the effects of the increased tarriff closely.
Recently, the Copenhagen rescinded free parking for electrical vehicles, which was very much seen as a reaction to a huge increase in large SUVs taking up parkings space in the inner city.
In Brussels, officials have even considered banning SUVs outright, according to parking.net.
San Francisco example
San Francisco implemented increased fees for SUV back in 2018, according to parking.net. The charges are significantly lower than those coming to Paris, but still amount to $4/hour for one-hour parking - double of an ordinary car.
The policy is valid for all SUVs, including electrical SUVs, but there are exemptions to handicapped people and local residents.
The effect of the increased fees is still up for debates, but the authorities claim a 3% reduction in traffic and a 2% reduction in pollution.