There are calls for Ireland to follow the example of the people of Paris, who have just voted to triple the charges SUV drivers pay for their vehicles in the city because of the extra pollutants they create and the additional space very large vehicles take up.
The Labour Party has welcomed the result of the vote in Paris, saying the Irish government now needs to follow that example as the sheer size of some of the vehicles on Irish roads, and the surge in popularity of oversized vehicles, was a real concern.
Labour’s climate spokesperson, Senator Rebecca Moynihan, said Ireland needs to take action to tackle "car bloat" in our urban areas. Her party now wanted an "SUV tax" like France’s model, which would also factor in the weight and size of vehciles.
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“With SUVs gaining popularity, their disproportionate contribution to pollution demands immediate attention," Sen Moynihan said. "Government urgently need to address the issue of car bloat in Irish cities. Parisians’ recently voted to triple parking costs for SUVs, Government should outline what takes it can take to follow suit
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“The surge in SUV ownership exacerbates our environmental concerns. We know from the Climate Change Advisory Council that ambitions have not been matched by actions. As it stands, we have already reached 50% of our 2030 emissions ceiling. This indicates a critical need for robust measures to curb car bloat.
“We in Labour have been advocating for an SUV tax akin to France’s model, factoring in weight and size. Such a levy, integrated into Vehicle Registration Tax and annual motor tax systems, would deter oversized vehicle ownership and could be used to mitigate their adverse impacts.
"We know that Eamon Ryan is committed to making our urban streets safer but we also need to put a light under the rest of government to support him in this.
“In light of Paris’s initiative, I’m calling on Government to emulate the French approach and implement heightened parking fees for SUVs in urban areas. This, together with Labour’s proposed SUV Tax measure, would incentivise sustainable transportation choices and mitigate the detrimental effects of car bloat on our environment.
"On the day that the European Commission is producing a roadmap on carbon neutrality, We should push the EU level to bring in size standards for private cars because if this trend continues we will supersize our way out of action on transport.”
