this trick to escape controls

Clever motorists would have found a solution to evade automated parking payment controls in the city. But is it really foolproof?

In Paris and the major cities of France, the automated parking control is not unanimous. Some would have found a solution to this unscrupulous system.

Automated control of contested parking

Since January 1, 2018, the paid parking reform entered into force in France. In practice, it is now the cities which are in charge of managing paid parking as well as the associated fines, now subtly called “post-parking package” (FPS).
The city of Paris, under the reign of Anne Hidalgo, saw in this new reform a great opportunity to tax more its administrators. In just a few years, the price of parking in the capital has exploded: depending on the length of parking, it can now reach up to €12.50 per hour, or even up to €37.50 per hour if you have the misfortune of driving an SUV… Gone are the days when parking was free on the streets of Paris!
Fines for unpaid parking, now FPS, have also exploded: initially at €17, they can now reach €75, and up to €225 to penalize SUV owners three times more… And to maximize the profitability of the system , THE parking control is now automatedthanks to the collaboration of the company Streeteo and its famous “PV sulfate machines”, cars equipped with cameras which crisscross the streets of Paris to scan the license plates of offenders.

A trick to escape controls

Unfortunately, the Parisian example has inspired other municipalities in France to use the same controversial methods. Faced with such pressure, motorists are organizing resistance. A new trend has even emerged recently in Paris, as well as in several large cities in France: hiding your license plate parked.
Everyone has their own method: adhesive tape, dead paper, surgical mask, cloth, piece of paper… It would be enough to hide part of your registration to render the LAPI system inoperative (Automated Reading of Registration Plates) and thus avoid sanctions. Indeed, this tip is based on a system flaw : the driver of the LAPI vehicle is not authorized to leave his car to come and unmask the users’ plates!
However, this tip is not infallible: in fact, the control agents, who still crisscross the streets on foot, will always be able to fine you for unpaid parking, and at the same time, for your illegible plate.

This last offense corresponds to a fourth class fine, i.e. a fixed fine of 135 euros.