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Increased numbers of towns and cities in France are implementing means-tested parking payment systems under which residents pay according to their income.

Cities using the system include Bordeaux (Gironde, Nouvelle-Aquitaine), Lille (Nord, Hauts-de-France), Chambéry (Savoie, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes) and Lyon (also Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes). 

In Lyon, drivers also pay according to the weight of their vehicle - those with heavier vehicles pay more. This is similar to schemes in Paris where larger, heavier cars (such as SUVs) also

pay more.

Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany) is the most recent city to introduce the system. It has been in operation there since December 1.

Under the new scheme lower-income residents who park in a certain type of space - those located within the city’s ‘green zone’ (the cheapest spaces, outside the city centre) - are entitled

to pay lower fees than more well-off residents.

For example, a couple with two children earning less than €2,300 per month will now only pay €2 per month to park, as opposed to the higher fee of €14.

To qualify for the lower price, residents must already have a carte de tarifs réduits (a reduced fare card), which grants them reduced fares for the city’s transport, and lower-priced access

to cultural and sporting activities. Those with this card who want to benefit from the new parking scheme must contact the Rennes parking office. 

Other residents should contact the Centre communal d'action sociale (CCAS), with proof of identity and income.

The city of Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) has been operating a similar scheme for a year, with 25% of the city’s 20,000 registered parking subscribers benefiting from the reduced fees. 

Depending on income, eligible residents are entitled to between 50% and 85% off the usual resident rate for the ‘green zone’ only (the cheapest area, outside the city centre).