Variable parking fines considered

DRIVERS who park illegally could be fined different amounts from one town to the next, under a new plan being examined by the transport ministry.

UMP senator Louis Nègre has recommended that parking fines should be set at a local level, to act as a better deterrent in towns with a serious traffic problem.

He says that in some towns, only 10% of drivers pay at the meter because the current fine, set nationally at €17, is not much more than the price of a ticket.

Mr Nègre told TF1: "Town centres are suffocated by bad parking. Giving towns the means to adapt the sanction depending on the disruption caused by drivers would allow them to offer a better service to public transport users.

"The idea is that the fine could be higher than €17, especially in big cities. But I do not think it should exceed €30 - that would be enough to send the right message to people.

"On the other hand, in small towns where the cost of parking is low, the fine could decrease."

Parking fines increased nationally from €11 to €17 this summer - the first rise in 25 years.

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