Tallinn plans to roll back free parking for electric vehicles from July 2025

In the future, only electric vehicles owned by Tallinn residents will be able to park for free in the capital under new plans proposed by the city government. Deputy Mayor Kristjan Järvan (Isamaa) said electric cars could lose the right to use bus lanes.
The number of zero-carbon-emission vehicles has grown exponentially in recent years while the number of parking spaces on the capital's public streets has remained relatively unchanged.
Over the last decade the number of electric vehicles in Estonia has risen from 1,115 in 2015 to 7,834 on November 1, 2024, data from the Transport Administration shows. The vast majority – 5,443 (69 percent) – were registered in Harju County.
The city government is now looking to update its legislation.
Järvan told ERR that so far, free parking permits for electric cars have been issued to Tallinn residents, legal entities, and even individuals whose registered residence is outside Tallinn.

"The change focuses on the fact that in the future, residents who are not taxpayers in Tallinn will not be offered free parking in the city center. Additionally, free parking permits for electric cars will no longer be issued to legal entities in Tallinn's city center, as parking spaces are indeed limited, and our priority is the taxpayers of Tallinn," he said.
Järvan added that Tallinn is following the example of Scandinavian countries and cities, where incentives for electric vehicle owners introduced years ago have been gradually scaled back. These incentives were created at a time when there were five times fewer electric cars.
"I believe that in the future, there will be a political discussion about whether all car owners should be treated equally. Especially considering that electric cars are, on average, one-third heavier and therefore wear down roads more. This raises the question of whether the privileges of electric cars should be fully aligned with those of internal combustion engine vehicles," the deputy mayor said.

He added that this discussion should not be limited to parking spaces but should also include the right to use bus lanes.
However, the latter requires a legal amendment, which falls under the jurisdiction of the Riigikogu, not the City of Tallinn. Järvan said he has already raised this issue.
"Last summer, I sent a proposal to the minister of infrastructure to end the right of electric cars to use bus lanes. This would speed up public transport. At the time, however, we received a response from the Ministry of Climate that this does not align with climate policy objectives, and they are not planning to make this change at the moment," Järvan said.
Tallinn City Council will discuss the proposal at its session on Thursday. If approved, the change will take effect on July 1, 2025.
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Editor: Urmet Kook, Helen Wright