Paid parking is now decriminalized in France. So what ?
February 5, 2018
Sareco's initial assessment of the implementation of the decriminalization and decentralization of paid on-street parking
A third of the French population lives in a city with parking . Since the beginning of 2018, the public has been becoming familiar with the FPS ( Notices) that replaced the old parking tickets for paid parking. While the changes are primarily formal, in practice the differences are numerous:
The amount of the FPS varies depending on the city
Prices range from €4 (in Conques-en-Rouergue) to €60 (in Lyon city centre). However, 88% of prices are between €17 and €35.
It can be noted that until last year the amount of fines for disc zones (blue zones) as for paid parking was €17 and that since January 1, 2018 the amount of fines for disc zones is €35.
Prices are rounded to the nearest euro, with a few rare exceptions (€16.50 in Épernay; €20.80 in Brétigny-sur-Orge...).
Finally, there is no correlation between city size and the amount of the parking fine : €17 in Bures-sur-Yvette, Gravelines, Lille, and Marseille; €50 in Juvisy-sur-Orge, Maintenon, and Paris. The graph below shows the variation in rates according to city size.
Some cities offer a reduced amount for prompt payment
Nearly half (48%) of cities that have opted for a fixed penalty notice (FPS) of at least €30 offer a reduced rate. Only 8% offer one if the FPS is €17 or less.
For the most expensive parking zone, the reduced rates range from €10 (Orange) to €48 (Arles), and for the cheapest from €10 (Châtellerault, Montpellier) to €24.50 (Paris).
When compared to the total number of inhabitants of the cities concerned, the average rate of the reduced FPS in the most expensive area of the city is less than €25.
The time frame for benefiting from the reduced fine varies from 2 hours 30 minutes (in Châtellerault) to 15 days (in Caen). It should be noted that for cities that entrust ANTAI withthe task of sending the parking fine notice, the agreement stipulates a maximum period of 5 days (allowing for prompt payment of the reduced fine before the city transmits the parking fine information to ANTAI).
A special case: in Moulins, the price is €10 instead of €25 if paid on the same day before 8 p.m.
The number of FPS per day
The number of parking tickets that can theoretically be issued for a stationary vehicle in a paid parking zone depends on the maximum permitted parking time. This varies considerably, for example, 10 hours in Lyon or 2 hours and 15 minutes in Albi and Colmar.
Based on these examples, it is therefore possible (theoretically) to issue 1 to 4 FPS per day for the same car parked illegally.
The appeals procedures are being tested
Appealing against a parking fine notice requires a RAPO, a formality whose establishment and processing will need to be refined during the first months of 2018.
The same applies to the CCSP , whose computer system was not yet operational in January 2018.
It is therefore necessary to wait some time before drawing up an objective assessment.
Identification by registration, for motorized two-wheelers as well 
The renewal of parking meters has been accompanied by a strong development of devices with alphanumeric keypads, making it mandatory to enter the vehicle when paying at theparking meter, similar to mobile phone payments.
Since displaying the ticket behind the windshield then becomes unnecessary (Paris, Lyon…), this greatly facilitates paid parking regulations for scooters and other motorcycles.
Charenton-le-Pont and Vincennes have already set the parking rates for motorized two-wheelers, including the fixed penalty notice (FPS). The fines are €10 and €12 respectively, reduced to €6 and €7 if paid within 3 and 2 days. These amounts represent one-third of those applied to cars.
New control organizations
Two major new developments are generating a lot of buzz in the press:
1. The involvement of private companies : Due to decriminalization, local authorities have the option of outsourcing the control of paid parking, including issuing parking tickets and responding to appeals. New players have entered this market: private companies, mixed- (SEMs), etc.
2. The rise of vehicles equipped with ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) : already sometimes used to detect obstructive or very obstructive parking, this technology can be applied to paid parking in communities that have digitized parking tickets (linking payment to a license plate). Thus, scooters or cars equipped with cameras scan license plates and consult databases to identify vehicles parked in paid zones that are not in compliance with regulations.
