Parking in Paris: PV rains on disabled motorists

Many people with disabilities deplore being the big forgotten ones in the transport policy of the city of Paris.

While parking was normally free for them in the capital since 2015, an unexpected change occurred on March 8.

Until that date, affixing the CMI card (mobility inclusion card), formerly called the PMR card (person with reduced mobility), on his windshield, was enough to be in the nails.

From now on, drivers with reduced mobility must also have a “handivirtual” ticket in order to benefit from the free rate.

However, this new regulation would not have been brought to the attention of all users.

The verbalizations of people with disabilities are increasing, and anger is mounting on social networks.

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While it is increasingly difficult to park there, the city's official website has quietly published on its website a new parking rule applicable to people with disabilities.

You must either reference your vehicle's registration in the Handi'Stat device, provided you are a resident of Paris, or take a dedicated ticket for each parking lot, "

on the mobile applications and their voice servers (HANDI rate) or on a parking meter.

".

Contacted by

Le Figaro

, Matthieu Annereau, president of the Association for the Taking into account of Handicap in public and private policies, believes that this new measure lacks an upstream reflection: "

It blocks and further complicates the movement of people. with disabilities.

The latter deplores a lack of consultation between the municipality and the associations.

Contacted by

Le Figaro

, the Paris town hall did not respond to our requests.

A choice assumed by the town hall

The mayor of Paris ensures on social networks to have launched a vast communication campaign. According to David Belliard, deputy mayor in charge of the Transformation of public space, Transport, Mobility, the Street and Highways Code, 27,000 letters have been sent by the City, and thousands of flyers have been sent. been affixed to vehicles with a disabled card.

Faced with criticism, he also defended himself on Twitter: “

Like more and more cities, in Paris, parking control has been carried out since March 15 by automatic reading of license plates (LAPI).

This allows a much greater respect for the parking rules in force and avoids suction cups.

"He also evokes the usefulness of this measure to fight against false disabled cards:"

Once the referencing is done, the services of the city of Paris check the documents (which makes it possible to fight against the very numerous false cards) and you are quiet for 2 years.

"

Hundreds of PV distributed

Jean, 65, disabled driver, recently received two parking tickets in 48 hours, rue Legendre, in the 17th arrondissement of Paris. He was visiting his daughter. “

This is insane. This new rule entered into force without notice. Although I am registered with the Departmental House for the Disabled, I have not received any mail

, he assures

Le Figaro

.

The CMI card was supposed to simplify our life, the parking meter was a worry that we had less

”. Likewise, he denounces the disappearance of parking spaces reserved for disabled people, which has become a hindrance in his daily life. "

For example, in the 9th arrondissement, they are all inaccessible due to works or neutralized by ephemeral terraces and new cycle paths.

"

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The testimonies are unanimous.

“

In Paris, the situation is really gruesome for people with disabilities.

This measure is supposed to fight against false disabled cards but, in the end, it increases the procedure for those who use it correctly,

”says Catherine, with a motor disability.

She also points out that it is difficult to get in a wheelchair or with crutches to the parking meters, which themselves are not adapted.

In 2018, the APF France Handicap association was already sounding the alarm in

Le Figaro

on the lack of accessibility of transport.

"It's been fifty years that we cried for a little more rights, the right to move - which is a fundamental right - and we are starting to have a little enough"

, indicated its president. At that time, the associations were already pointing out unjustified verbalizations and the stealing of places reserved by able-bodied drivers.

Delegate for Paris of this association, Jacques Gonzales emphasizes that the problem of “

abusive

”

reports

has still not been resolved.

He believes that this phenomenon is likely to be accentuated with this new virtual ticket obligation: “

The

tickets

in the streets of Paris are issued by Streeteo, a company to which the City has entrusted the control of paid parking.

However, they are often given without verifying the reality of the offense

”.

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