The end of an era. Starting Thursday, motorized two-wheelers must pay to park on the streets of Paris. The move has sparked outrage from the community, which says it is “ready to defy the ban,” AFP reported.

The city authorities of Paris hired two companies to search for criminals. These service providers must carry out 2,000 checks per day, according to the city hall, which will announce the number of fines within ten to fifteen days.

The fine for not paying for parking is €25 or €37.50 depending on the area. Parking that blocks or creates a danger is punishable by a fine of 135 euros.

To park a motorized two-wheeled vehicle (2WD) on the streets of Paris, you must pay a fee if it is a thermal vehicle. In the center of the capital, parking costs 3 euros per hour, and on the outskirts – 2 euros.

“It must be madness after all! I’ll try not to pay once or twice, we’ll see how lively they are! If they’re very willing, we adapt,” smiles Nicolas (who doesn’t want you to call him), a photographer/videographer who lives in the suburbs and commutes to Paris on his scooter.

A 40-year-old man, who also owns a car, is thinking of buying a tax-exempt electric scooter.

“So far the big advantage of scooters in Paris, apart from the fact that you can park more easily than with a car, is that you can park for free,” he says.

To justify the introduction of paid parking, which has been debated for years, the city hall of Paris cites air pollution, noise pollution, as well as a “better balance of public space” or a transition to “less polluting and gentle forms of mobility”.

“We must abandon this exemption that scooters and motorcycles have finally benefited from. It is a complex measure that requires considerable effort, but which is important for the future and for the fight against pollution,” David Belliard explained to AFP. , deputy (EELV) on issues of mobility and transformation of public space of the City Hall of Paris.

Residents of Paris are entitled to a discounted rate: an annual card costs €22.50 per year, plus €0.75 per day of parking. Professional membership is also offered, so free parking is available for electric and disabled bikes.

“We’re going to encourage people to go (park) underground, we’re going to restore public space, we’re going to better regulate illegal parking,” Belyard said.

A mother of three young children who lives in the 20th arrondissement, Anissa (who does not want to be named) walks a stroller on the sidewalks of Paris, not far from a scooter attached to a security gate outside a school.

The Federation of Furious Motorcyclists (FFMC) called the measure “truly discriminatory, especially for the poorest people living in the suburbs”. “Housing in Paris has become so expensive that people are moving further and further away. Residents of the suburbs suffered the most. It’s a real social problem, they can’t ride 40 kilometers on a bike,” – Jean-Marc Belotti, FFMC. delegate to Ile-de-France.

The FFMC, which launched a petition with about 42,400 signatures by noon Thursday, plans a demonstration at noon Saturday outside Paris City Hall. In September of last year, an appeal was submitted to the administrative court to cancel the order.

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