The vote is the latest effort by Parisian officials to reduce traffic in the French capital. Paris was one of the first major European cities to adopt bike rental programs, and last year it became the first city in Europe to ban the rental of e-scooters. Two decades ago, it was rare to see cyclists in central Paris. Today, thanks to the creation of new cycling lanes, it is not unusual to see tourists and locals alike exploring the city by bike.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo said she was targeting SUVs for reasons of road safety, air pollution and climate change. In a video she posted on her Facebook page (she no longer uses Average cars. It also said that a pedestrian is twice as likely to die in a crash with an SUV than one with a regular vehicle.
driver Advocacy groups attacked the plans. “Punishing SUVs based on weight standards means penalizing families,” said Pierre Chasserai, spokesman for the 40 Million Car Drivers campaign group.
He added: “The French SUV is not an American Hummer.”
Activists refer to it as “car bulge” or “self-obesity” – in recent years, SUVs have become wider and heavier. A recent report by the Brussels-based Transport and Environment Group found that SUVs in Europe are expanding by one centimeter (0.4 inch) every two years. The group found that some new cars in Europe are wider than some street parking spaces.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said he would monitor the effectiveness of the Paris plans, although he does not have the power to charge for four-wheel drive parking.
Europeans have a very mixed relationship with SUVs. While city officials are trying to get large, heavy vehicles out of city centers, consumers are loving them. More than half of the cars sold last year in Europe were SUVs.
Just over a million Parisians were eligible to vote on Sunday – and opinion polls suggest a referendum on increasing parking fees will be passed. Eligible voters are those who live in inner-city areas, who are less likely to drive SUVs than their suburban neighbors.
The proposal would see SUVs or other large vehicles weighing more than 1.6 tonnes (1.76 tonnes) or two tonnes (2.20 tonnes) for electric vehicles, charged €18, or $19.40, per hour to park in the city centre. Those who live or work in the city and have parking permits in their area will be exempt.
Philip Rudd, executive director of the London School of Economics' LSE Cities programme, said the referendum was “symbolically important”.
“Paris is a very important city and has innovated in many things,” he said. “Ultimately, this can be an education for people. If you want to drive these vehicles somewhere in Arizona, that's your choice. But in inner cities, they're a problem.”
“The auto industry is watching this space,” he added. “European cities have a role in shaping the market.”
