- MV cities don't want to charge SUV owners extra for the cash register
Owners of large city SUVs need not expect to be charged more for parking in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, at least for now. A survey found that there are no plans to increase resident parking fees for larger vehicles in the state's cities. This means that an initiative by the German Environmental Aid (DUH) in the northeast may not have the desired effect, as it aims to relieve urban traffic and the environment.
The environmental organization has demanded higher parking fees and restrictions for oversized vehicles in 324 cities nationwide, including four municipalities in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. DUH sees itself confirmed in its efforts to put a stop to the increasing number of SUVs in urban traffic. More than 21,000 people have expressed their opposition to more and larger cars in their cities through the "Monster SUV out of my city!" action.
SUV drivers in MV cities remain unaffected
"It is clear to many people that we should do more for buses, trains, and cycling. For the sake of the environment. But we are not aiming to increase parking fees for a specific vehicle type," Rostock's mayor, Eva-Maria Kröger (Left), said. After the recent increase in general resident parking fees from 30.70 to 120 euros per year, there are no plans for further changes, the city hall in Schwerin said. This means there will be no restrictions based on vehicle types such as SUVs.
Similar statements were made in the Hanseatic city of Greifswald. There, the prices for resident parking were increased to 90 euros in March. SUV drivers' special fees are not an issue in the administration, and there have been no political initiatives in this regard, a spokesperson in Stralsund said.
FDP: Car often indispensable
FDP state parliamentarian David Wulff described the approach of further burdening car drivers without creating reliable alternatives as insufficient and unsocial. "Especially today, we read everywhere that public transport is insufficiently developed in many regions, and the train is in chaos due to construction sites and train cancellations. In these circumstances, we cannot expect people to give up their cars," Wulf argued. The plans of the environmental aid would also endanger the economic power of the cities and trade in the inner cities. The local economy relies on visitors from the surrounding districts.
Despite the efforts of the German Environmental Aid (DUH) to increase parking fees and restrict oversized vehicles like SUVs in urban areas, including Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, no such changes are currently planned in the state's cities. The environment continues to be a concern, with many advocating for more public transportation, trains, and cycling, but there are no specific plans to charge more for larger vehicles like SUVs.
