The Bern city council wants parking tickets for the blue zone to cost almost three times as much as they do today.
In the future, drivers in the city of Bern should pay significantly more for parking than they do today, according to the red-green parliamentary majority in the city council. According to this, a resident parking card for the blue zone might cost almost three times more than today – 720 francs annually compared to 264 francs previously.
The municipal council, for its part, proposes an increase to CHF 492. For the spokespersons of the SP and the Green Alliance, this doesn’t go far enough. It was time for cost truth, it said in the Council. Each parking space causes direct costs of 1,500 francs, said Michael Sutter (SP).
Relief for people on low incomes
Only people with a low income or those who are demonstrably dependent on a vehicle for professional or medical reasons should be relieved. You should get a 50 percent discount.
However, an application was also controversial in the left-green camp, according to which heavy cars with an unladen weight of more than 1800 kilograms would even have to shell out 1200 francs per year.
Commoners once morest increasing parking fees
The bourgeois side defended itself in principle once morest higher parking fees. For Florence Schmid (FDP/JF), the increases, which are intended to bring more revenue to the ailing city finances, are inadmissible from a tax perspective. Schmid promised a referendum.
Marcel Wüthrich (GFL/EPP) warned the Council once morest overloading the Fuder, risking the majority of the fees and provoking a defeat at the ballot box.
Center councilor Reto Nause campaigned for the city government’s “balanced package”. An increase in parking fees is legitimate. Demands that went beyond this bordered on “usury”. Nause also warned of a “bureaucracy monster” for controlling discounts. The “arbitrary door and gate” will also be opened.
Three million francs additional income
If the fee regulations fail at the ballot box, the city will lose revenue that has already been budgeted. The municipal council expects additional income of almost three million Swiss francs. The increase in parking fees is part of the package of measures with which the municipal council wants to get the city of Bern out of the red.
According to the municipal council’s proposal, one hour of paid parking should now cost 3 francs instead of the previous 2.20 francs. There are also proposals in the Council that want to go further. The city council will make a final decision at the October 20 meeting. (SDA)