Drive a heavy vehicle? You'll now pay more for a parking permit in the Plateau

Parking permits in Montreal's Plateau-Mont-Royal borough are now more expensive for heavier vehicles like SUVs and pickup trucks.

The new permit system came into effect on Jan. 1. The Plateau already had a tiered system in place for parking permits, but the previous system was based on the size of the vehicle's engine, intended to incentivizethe ownership of cars that pollute less.

The new system is instead based on how much space the car or truck takes up on city streets, with the owners of heavier vehiclespaying more.

In a publication on the City of Montreal website, the borough says that the weight of a car is the best way to gauge how much space it takes up.

The full price of an annual parking permit will begin at $241.45 the price for vehicles that weigh 1,249 kilograms or less.Residents with an income of less than $31,096 before taxes will pay this rate regardlesswhat vehicle they drive.

An annualpermit for the heaviest vehicles, those that weigh more than 1,800 kilograms, costs $482.90.

Mostpickup trucks weighbetween 1,800 and 2,100 kilograms, according to J.D. Power, a marketing company that specializes in the automotive industry.

There is, generally, wider variance among SUVs, but many of the mid-size modelsstillweigh more than 2,000 kilograms. Smaller SUVs like the Honda CR-V weigh approximately 1,600 kilograms.

Even lightweight cars like the Toyota Corolla can come in above 1,300 kilograms, depending on the year they were built.

The details of the change are available on the city's website.

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