Paid parking for two-wheelers in Paris, what are the options?

The pet peeve of the Paris City Hall and certain associations, the motorcycle is no longer in the odor of holiness in the capital, even though it has experienced record enthusiasm since the end of confinement and the first tricolor world title in Moto GP.

For the Municipality, it is a matter of relieving the city of noise pollution and pollutant emissions. The elected officials have therefore moved up a gear by making parking chargeable for thermal two-wheelers from September 1.

Motorcyclists and scooter riders will be able to park their bikes in one of the 42,000 dedicated places, a little meager consolation when you know that the fleet currently consists of more than 500,000 two-wheelers in Île-de-France alone. You will have to park on the paid parking strips usually used by cars or in an underground car park. Parking on the sidewalks is prohibited at the risk of seeing your two-wheeler go to the nearest pound.

The price is lower than that charged for cars, a two-wheeler being naturally less bulky. To park in Paris from Monday to Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., you have to pay a sum corresponding to half of that practiced for cars. Surprising knowing that it is possible to park five or six motorcycles/scooters along the length of a compact SUV, and up to three motorcycles for a simple Smart.

Residents can benefit from a subscription at a preferential rate. There are thus two formulas:

• €45/3 years
• €22.50/1 year

Daily or weekly pricing follows.

Please note that residential parking cannot be combined with other vehicles, cars or two-wheelers. Parisians who already benefit from a subscription for their car will not be able to benefit from it for their motorcycle or scooter. The subscription being limited to one subscription per resident, you can only take advantage of it for a single motorcycle or scooter.

Professionals traveling by motorcycle or scooter, whose business is located in Paris, can also benefit from a more advantageous rate, identical to that of residents: €22.50/year, then €0.75/day. Those whose activity is mainly mobile are however subject to a specific rate of €120/year, then €0.25/hour.

The City of Paris is introducing a 2WD Pass allowing unlimited parking in one of the partner car parks. To park in another, a lower hourly rate is applied.

If you are not a Parisian resident and your company is not eligible for professional parking (see the list), the bill can be high for a simple trip.

If you work in zone 2 and you park outside, over a 7-hour day, you will therefore have to pay €27 or renew the payment regularly for 3 x 2 hours + 1 hour, i.e. €14, knowing that it is now forbidden to park for more than 6 consecutive hours in the same location. Over a year, the theoretical sum can quickly become astronomical: at the rate of 5 days/week and 47 weeks/year, the total amounts to €3,290.

The subscription in a 2WD Pass car park is more advantageous, bringing the total to “only” €770/year. A sum which, however, corresponds to a renewal of safety equipment, for example, or even an annual review in certain concessions.

Parking is free between 8 p.m. and 9 a.m., as well as on Sundays.

And otherwise ?

All motorized two-wheelers are not affected since electric models are – for the moment – ​​exempt from paid parking. Bikers keen on performance (74 hp) and acceleration will benefit from the dantesque torque (166 Nm) of the Zero SR for a combined range of around 180 km. Unfortunately, its 3 h 30 min charging time to go from 20 to 95%, and especially its price starting at €19,550, put it out of reach for many.

On the scooter side, the offer seems more extensive, and above all more accessible. BMW recently launched its CE-04 from €12,150, available in A/A2 and A1 versions (or B license + 7-hour training). With a power of 42 hp in version A/A2 and up to 31 hp for the version accessible to license B, the CE-04 takes advantage of its 62 Nm of instantaneous torque to atomize the competition.

Even more accessible, 125cc scooters have been populating city centers for many years. The street thus becomes the favorite playground of their electric counterparts, taking advantage of the silence of the mechanics and the pleasure of driving to move serenely through the meanders of the capital, where modest autonomy is no longer a problem. .

Super Soco, also known for its small electric motorcycles like the TC Max, offers an interesting CPX scooter to start in the world of electric two-wheelers. Easy and economical (from 4290 €), it will be at ease in the streets of the capital. Its measured range is only 80 km.

A little more punchy, the Rider 5000 W opts for a retro style, deliberately modeled on Vespas, to appeal to urban customers who love retro-chic. Its engine allows a certain versatility, in particular in peri-urban, the autonomy being limited to 84 km.

All the electric two-wheelers mentioned are eligible for state aid, capped at €900 and up to €400 in Paris.

And without a permit?

For motorcyclists who wish to store their vehicle, it is always possible to travel by bicycle, mechanical or electrically assisted, and to park for free in one of the 60,000 spaces available in the city, or in dedicated shelters or car parks, through a subscription. In order to facilitate access to electric bikes, it is possible to benefit from aid of up to €400 (subject to income conditions) from the State, up to €600 from Île-de-France Mobilité, and up to €400 from the Municipality of Paris.

Electric scooters are also on the rise, making it possible to learn about gentle mobility at a lower cost, but without subsidies.