Councils from Paris to the Yarra want to use parking fees to clamp down on big SUVs. What are they doing and will they succeed?

SUVs have soared in popularity in Australia, prompting environmental and safety concerns, while Yarra city council is looking at raising parking fees for big cars. Photograph: Darren England/AAP

A Melbourne council has passed an Australian-first motion to investigate clamping down on large vehicles by hiking up parking fees.

The Yarra city council unanimously voted on Tuesday to investigate the potential to raise parking fees for large vehicles. The council could follow Paris, after the French city voted to triple parking costs for SUVs in February.