Berlin/Düsseldorf (dpa/lnw) - The German Environmental Aid (DUH) complains about "absurdly low fees" for resident parking in German cities. In a statement, the DUH criticized that cities and municipalities would slow down all efforts to accelerate the mobility transition. A nationwide survey of 104 cities - including all major cities and the five largest cities in the federal states - revealed that only 13 of the cities surveyed have so far used the new opportunity to increase the fees for resident parking permits.
The DUH called for at least 360 euros per year to be charged for parking in residential parking zones. It should be even more expensive for large SUVs and pickups. The higher income would have to flow into the expansion of buses and trains as well as cycle paths and sidewalks.
According to a decision by the federal and state governments, the cities can now determine the cost of resident parking themselves. In North Rhine-Westphalia, permission to set the charges has been transferred to the relevant road traffic authorities. The corresponding change in the "Regulation on Responsibilities in the Area of Road Traffic and Freight Transport" has been in effect since February 2022. The upper limit of 30.70 euros per year that used to be uniform in Germany has been eliminated.
Most of the cities in North Rhine-Westphalia, including the five most populous cities of Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen and Duisburg, have not yet increased the fees, it said. In Düsseldorf, an increase to 300 to 500 euros should have taken place this year, but has not yet been decided. In Cologne, 600 euros was discussed, but the decision was postponed. According to a spokesman, there should also be an increase in Dortmund, but the amount is still open. A "moderate increase" is expected.
Meanwhile, smaller cities are leading the way. The resident parking permit in Neuss and Bonn is the most expensive in NRW. According to the DUH, the Neuss annual fee has been 120 euros since the summer and is expected to rise to 360 euros by 2026. Bonn will demand 180 euros from next March, and a year later also 360 euros. In Mettmann, residents already have to pay 70 euros a year. From 2023, Kempen on the Lower Rhine will charge 150 euros for a car and 270 euros for particularly large and heavy vehicles. In Brühl, the fee will increase to 141.10 euros in 2023. Iserlohn is aiming for an increase to 270 euros. Bergisch Gladbach, on the other hand, is the largest German city that has no resident parking zones.
