French authorities race to remove thousands of parking spots by year-end deadline

Local authorities in France face a race against time to remove thousands of parking spaces before next year to comply with a rule on pedestrian safety. 

The 2019 Mobility Law (loi mobilité) requires all pedestrian crossings to have a five-metre zone that is free of any parking spot for motorised vehicles.

The law, which only applies in the direction of the traffic, was introduced to improve pedestrian safety when crossing at designated points. 

Drivers sometimes failed to see pedestrians waiting to cross, and pedestrians often needed to stick their head out dangerously far to see if a car was on the road.

The problem was compounded by the increase in larger and taller vehicles on roads, particularly SUVs. 

The deadline for compliance is the end of 2026, but authorities across France are struggling to remove spaces in time, and several associations believe the goal is now impossible. 

Authorities also have to deal with the financial burden of removing the parking spaces, predicted to cost millions of euros in the capital alone.

‘Impossible’ for all parking spaces to be removed 

“It is impossible for 100% [of crossings] to be compliant by December 31, 2026,” said the Paris Pedestrians Collective (Collectif Paris Piétons) in an October report. 

Paris still has to remove around 3,000 parking spaces to comply with the rules, causing further difficulties for drivers looking to park. 

This figure excludes loading bays, disabled parking spots, and spaces for two-wheeled vehicles that also need to be altered. 

“Other municipalities have fallen significantly behind, some have even completely overlooked this provision of the law,” said the 60 Millions de Piétons organisation on the issue.

“The Lille metropolitan area will lose approximately 4,500 parking spaces; Lyon will see more than 3,300 disappear; Bordeaux, nearly 1,000; and Amiens, 3,325,” said the Fédération nationale des métiers du stationnement (National Parking Federation) earlier this year. 

For these larger cities, costs can quickly add up. Replacing a single parking space with a bike rack can cost upwards of €500, and to expand the crossing, around €4,500. 

Drivers should avoid these spots

It remains to be seen what will happen in cities with parking spaces, but drivers will need to adjust their habits from January 1, 2027. 

Currently, parking on a pedestrian crossing or within five metres of one where there is no authorised marking is classified as “highly obstructive”. This includes even brief moments of being stationary, for example to pick someone up or drop a letter or parcel off.

Drivers who do so face a €135 fine (a fourth-class penalty) and risk their vehicle being impounded. 

From January 1, parking spots within five metres of a crossing are no longer authorised, even if they are marked as such. To avoid the risk of a fine, you should avoid parking on them.

For advice on finding parking spots in France, read our article here.