Basel is to become the first Swiss city to introduce higher parking costs for bigger cars. The northwestern city is also debating higher taxes for the owners of larger vehicles. Large cars, especially SUVs, are a divisive issue. In canton and Basel city, where space is at a premium – and where half of all new cars are SUVs – many are less than happy about four-wheel drives clogging up streets and parking spaces. Now the Basel government has waded into the fray: with its decision to impose higher parking costs on bigger cars, the city has become a pioneer in Switzerland when it comes to fees differentiated according to size. The cantonal government argues that parking fees in the city are currently far below than what they are elsewhere in Switzerland. The higher charges for larger cars are also intended to encourage a shift, says Simon Kettner, project manager at the Basel department of construction and transport. “The aim is also for more people to use underground car parks rather ...
