Should SUV drivers in Vienna soon pay significantly more for parking?

Should SUV drivers in Vienna soon pay significantly more for parking?

The discussion about parking fees for SUVs and large vehicles wins on trips, in particular fueled by the recent decision in Paris. From October 2024 it will be significantly more expensive for SUV drivers. In the French capital, the fees were tripled after a citizens' decision. In the future, owners will pay for heavy vehicles such as SUVs and some electric cars up to 18 euros per hour in the city center, where the price was previously only 6 euros. This affects vehicles with an empty weight of 1.6 tons and electric cars over 2 tons, such as the Mazda CX-60, VW Tiguan and Audi Q8 e-tron. Exceptions apply only to Paris residents, craftsmen and nursing services, reports the ADAC.

In Vienna, the debate about similar measures is now louder. Judith Pühringer from the Greens clearly speaks for higher fees for large vehicles, while the Vienna ÖVP positions itself. This reflects the different views that are also expressed in Bregenz. Passers -by were asked there, which expressed various opinions on the planned higher fees.

opinions of passers -by

Christian Röthlin from Bregenz is skeptical of higher parking fees for SUVs. He asks for the border for large cars and advocates uniform fees. Kerstin Schluge from Dornbirn, on the other hand, has no parking problems with her large vehicle and sees no reason for an increase. Similarly, Meris Budimlic from Bludenz, which rejects a graduation of the parking fees, and an anonymous woman from Germany also supports higher fees for SUVs due to the tense parking situation.

reactions from Germany

The increase in parking fees in Paris could also revive the discussion about parking fees in Germany. There are still numerous free parking in many German cities, while the first cities already increase the fees to several hundred euros per year. With an average of 41.22 euros, Stuttgart leads income per inhabitant through parking fees and nodules. However, parking fees in Germany remain relatively cheap compared to many other European cities.

The mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, is driving the climate -friendly conversion of the city, which includes the blocking of bank roads and the expansion of bike paths. This is in accordance with the efforts to reduce car traffic in city centers. The pressure on the federal government in Germany is growing, especially since some federal states have not yet implemented new fee regulations. Reform initiatives of the Road Traffic Act fail partially in the Federal Council, and a quick agreement seems unlikely.

This shows that the discussion about parking fees for SUVs is not only a French topic, but also gains explosive in Austria and Germany. The voices of the citizens are increasingly heard, also with regard to the need for the need for alternative parking and transport connections.