Surge in parking fines as French towns use radar checking cars
In Paris, the number of fines issued has risen by as much as 75%
The cars have cameras on their roof that can check if a car parking space has been paid for
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Drivers in major French cities have seen a surge in parking fines issued as increasing numbers of authorities use radar checking cars to patrol local roads and issue sanctions automatically.
The radar cars have four cameras mounted to their roof, and, when driven slowly through the streets, can automatically check if the driver of a parked car has made the correct payment. The cameras - one pointing towards each corner of the car roof - take photos of cars that are parked in spaces that require payment to use.
The system can check up to 150 number plates per hour, explains Antoine Evain, manager of the road traffic system for NGE Nantes, to BFMTV.
The new system has seen the number of fines increase by 75% in Paris, and by 73% in Toulouse (Haute-Garonne, Occitanie). The fines are now called “Forfaits Post Stationnement (FPS)”.
Other cities to have recently introduced the system include Nantes (Loire-Atlantique, Pays de la Loire), Paris, Nice (Alpes-Maritimes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), Lyon (Rhône, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes), and Dijon (Côte-d'Or, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté).
Read also: Can French authorities send parking fine without a windscreen note?
‘Worse case scenario’
Drivers’ associations are highly critical of the new system.
“These new radar cars are the worst-case scenario,” said Pierre Chasseray of association 40 Millions d’Automobilistes, to BFMTV.
“There are no longer any humans, there’s just a car going by, that is dumbly applying sanctions, including in moments when you are about to leave your parking space, or in the middle of paying on an app,” he said.
Read also: Drivers in France can now contest parking fine before paying
Read also: Can I find details of any driving fines in France online?
Mayors of towns and cities have the authority to set parking fine levels, meaning that the amount due for non-payment will depend on the location.
In Toulouse, fines tend to be around €30; rising to €50 in Nantes; and as much as €75 in Paris.
