«It’s a disaster», protests to AFP Sébastien Mazelier, agent in the field of security traveling by scooter on his various places of intervention. «We inquired, security companies are not allowed to have professional parking. We work days between 8 and 12 hours, at 3 euros per hour parking, it will cost us on average 500 euros per month».
From Thursday, motorized two-wheelers (2RM) thermal will be obliged to pay for their parking on marked locations while free will be applied for electric two-wheelers. Parisian residents can benefit from a preferential rate (applicable in their area of residence) and professional passes are allocated. Registration on an online platform is required.
Two months after the establishment of this registration service, approximately 10,250 requests have been satisfied. «The number of residential parking lots granted is 6,080, the number of professional rights is 2,419 and it is 1,667 for electric PTWs and 80 for disabled PTWs», detailed Tuesday morning with AFP David Belliard, the assistant (EELV) for mobility and the transformation of public space, aware of the unpopularity of the measure, applied after years of debate.
«It’s a controversial measure, a lot of people are not happy. But there are also a lot of people who are waiting for this measure. We are in an exemption regime for machines that take up space in space public, which make noise, and which pollute», defends David Belliard, who would like to transform «the way we have to move around town».
«The vast majority of people who come to work today do so by public transport. It is estimated that 100,000 scooters and motorcycles pass through Paris. We want to encourage migration to other forms of mobility», highlights the Deputy Mayor.
-«This is theft»-
In the heart of Paris, in the 3rd arrondissement, Yoni Lugassy manages a franchise store for a major brand of thermal 2WD opened in 2010 and which sells around 600 motorized two-wheelers on average per year. Since the beginning of the year, he has seen his sales drop by 20%, he explains to AFP.
«There are a lot of people who separate themselves from 2 wheels. Already with telework, they use the scooter less and the measure of paid parking has slowed them down even more. Some of them want electric scooters», notes the trader, who opened another shop dedicated solely to electric two-wheelers four years ago.
«Today, it’s a hit! People buy, not to pollute less but just to avoid paying for parking. Last week, we sold around sixty electric two-wheelers,» he notes.
Intermittent worker in Paris but living 45 km from the capital, Romain Lagrost would have liked to buy an electric motorcycle but he «cannot afford it». «I bought my new motorcycle for 8,000 euros, a new electric one is 20,000 euros», plagues this Ile-de-France resident, who does not refuse to pay for parking but «not at these prices».
«It’s half the price of parking a car and we put four motorcycles on a parking space. That’s theft!», He says.
In the center of the capital, parking costs 3 euros per hour compared to 2 euros in the outer districts. For residents, the annual card is worth 22.50 euros per year, plus 0.75 euros per day of parking.
Faced with these measures, the Federation of Angry Bikers (FFMC) announces that it will continue its «resistance». «We are still against paid parking, we will continue to mobilize,» said AFP its Ile-de-France delegate Jean-Marc Belotti, whose office must decide on the actions to be taken.
«This measure is essential. It’s painful, I understand that, but I think it’s really fair, it responds to climate and public health issues. No one will go back on it,» warns David Belliard.