Barrier-free French motorway: drivers complain over extra fines

Increasing numbers of drivers in France are complaining of fines incurred due to difficulties paying for their use of new smart motorways.

In particular the motorways A13 and A14 between Paris and Normandy have become ‘smart’ in recent years, meaning that the traditional péage (toll) barriers no longer exist. Instead, they have been replaced by cameras and detectors which monitor the vehicles that use the motorways.

Drivers must now pay online, or at one of several automated machines at the end of the given motorway section.

The aim of smart motorways is to improve traffic flow and remove the need for drivers to stop and queue to pay at a péage along the road.

Read also: Recap: the French motorways which have barrier-free tolls, or soon will 

‘€40 for a €14 journey’

However many drivers have said that the payment options are not clear enough; that it is easy to forget to pay; and have complained of being landed with high fines for non-payment. Fines are issued if no payment is made within 72 hours, which can rise to €375 if payment is not received after two months.

One user online, quoted by TF1, said: “This is the second time I've forgotten to pay after passing through. Outrageous. €20 surcharge. Stop this scam.”

Another driver said he had been charged “€40 for a journey that initially cost €14”.

Read also: Drivers complain over barrier-free French motorways - and their fines 

Read more: Motorists highlight issues with France’s first free-flow toll motorway 

Users of the A13 and A14 are not the only ones to have encountered problems. 

In 2023, users of a then-new stretch of smart motorway on the A79 between Sazeret (Allier, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and Digoin (Saône-et-Loire, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté), told consumer group UFC-QueChoisir they had also experienced issues.

That road is managed by motorway management network Autoroute de Liaison Atlantique Europe (ALIAE).

Some users there felt the payment systems were not explained properly, while others said that they were unable to pay online and had to call customer services.

One woman, Sylvie, said: “There is very little information [about how to pay] along the road during your journey. You have to be very alert to understand that you have to pay later.”

Another user, Christian, said he was disappointed that he was not given enough notice to be able to avoid the paying section of the road by using another route; while Geneviève found that she was unable to pay her 30-cent payment due for use of the road.

She said: “[I was notified] that I had committed an infraction that could be fined by up to €90.” But, when she went online to pay, she found the website did not work. She then had to call the customer services line and later sent a cheque.

Those who do not pay risk a €90 fine.

Another user commented that the in-person payment option on the motorway was not particularly efficient. 

He said: “How is this new system simpler, when it requires a stop in a car park [to use the payment machines], wasting time? Where are the energy savings when you have to look for a space, stop the engine and start again?”

How can drivers avoid fines?

Drivers on smart motorways should aim to pay for using the road as quickly as possible, whether online, or by using one of the roads’ payment machines once they leave the smart motorway section.

Motorway operator Sanef recommends that regular users of the roads sign up to its subscription service, which will send them a badge for their vehicle, which is intended to ensure automatic payment.

Most motorway operators have a similar system.

However, one resident of Brétigny-sur-Orge (Essonne) told La Dépêche that despite having a badge he still received a formal notice letter ordering him to pay a fine of €100 because his “badge had not worked”. His fine was later reduced to €10 after he made a complaint to Sanef.

What if I receive a motorway fine that I believe to be unfair?

If you receive a fine that you believe is unfair or unjustified, you can complain. Do not pay the fine immediately; instead, contact customer service. This is not a guarantee that you will escape the fine but it may be reduced.

For users who have a subscription badge, Arnaud Quémard, CEO of the Sanef group, told TF1: “If you notice a problem simply contact our customer service department which will reassociate the badge with the plate that has been detected.” 

This should mean you avoid paying a fine. Alternatively, the fine may be considerably reduced or added as a credit to your account.