German city announces six-fold increase in resident parking fees for SUVs

The German city of Tübingen has announced SUV drivers will soon need to pay six times the current parking fees. According to an article in Spiegel Online, local Green mayor Boris Palmer confirmed that residents who own combustion engine cars weighing over 1,800 kg or electric vehicles weighing over 2,000 kg will see their annual parking costs increase from 30 to 180 euros. Palmer had originally announced the fee would be 360 euros, writes Spiegel. Tübingen is aiming to become climate neutral by 2030 and reducing the number of cars in the centre is part of its strategy. Money from parking fees will be used to finance better public transport.

Compared to many other countries, residents' parking fees are very low in many German cities. In the capital Berlin, for example, the yearly fee is around 10 euros. Germany has struggled to lower emissions in the transport sector, as gains from more efficient engines have been eaten up by the trend to heavier vehicles, such as SUVs.