Disabled parking - France

[Jim_5122443]

Disabled ("Blue") badges are recognized in all EEC states now. Question I have is regarding fee paying car parks in France.

Told by one gendarme that "all parking free and without limit" if displaying badge. Told by a city policeman Must pay and observe time limit.

Anyone know who is right pls

 

[DJM]

Hi Jim,

Good question - unfortunately I can't give you an accurate answer. However, I have parked on French car parks in allocated disable bays and displayed my wife's badge and timeclock without any problems for the past five years.

Maybe we have been lucky, I don't know, but it will be interesting to hear of other peoples experiences.

 

[cris_408518]

I can't give a defitive answer but would say that we when touring with out any dissabilties have found the French authorities attitude to parking far more relaxed towards tourists in resort areas especially.

We have even been told with a flourish just to write an arrival time on a piece of blue paper and ignore charges as were are Touristes and had the French police just laugh and smile and ignore the car on many an occasions.

The only problem we know of for disabled people is that the French will park in any gap, on pavements , islands, in driveways and even pedestrian crossings in busy resorts that more than often have free parking. People we know have had problems re exiting and entering their vehicles with wheel chairs ramps as the French will fit a vehicle into the smallest gap at times.

I would say that our total French holiday parking bills for twenty years are still less than we paid for parking for a weeks stay in Cornwall 20 years ago.

 

[EvansofSprot]

If in doubt I would display your badge + the timer indicator that you were given with it.

The major complaint I would have about France is that the disabled parking bays in supermarkets are often illogically placed; for example they may not be near trolley parks or the entrance.

 

[Nidge1]

Last year when we visited France the police seemed very keen on ensuring people who parked in a disabled bay were infact displaying a valid blue badge.

They were giving out tickets on a super market car park to anybody flouting the rules (how often do you see that in the UK?)

We were even challenged by a policeman on a Sunday morning in a empty council office car park.Once we showed him our blue badge he left with a contented grin on his face.

Regards

Nidge

 

[WatsonJohnG]

I have used the disabled badge in France but many car parks are free anyway.

I would imagine that the same rules apply as in UK

If its a local authority car park it should be free but if it belongs to a chain such as NCP then you have to pay.

In Redditch for example they have designated disabled bays and motobility scooters but you still pay for parking on exit disbled or not.