Toulouse: why we still change sides to park
On the 1st or 15th of the month, in certain streets of the Pink City, you must not park on the wrong side.
“Ouch! I again forgot to change the car aside this 1uh or 15th of the month. How many distracted people have made this self-critical remark one day.
Many New Toulouse residents do not know. But in many streets of Toulouse, those where parking is neither materialized on the ground, nor prohibited by decree (example: streets too narrow to allow parking and ensure the circulation of vehicles), it is the parking rule known as alternating unilateral that applies. And this rule applies by default. This type of parking is signposted at the entrance to towns.
Punishable by a fine of 35 euros
In other words, the 1uh and on the 15th of the month, don’t forget to change sides of your car in these streets. And distraction can be expensive: “The driver who parks on the wrong side of the street can be fined 2e class (35 €) for non-compliance with the municipal decree setting the traffic and parking rules (municipal decree 84.31, article 22 of which sets the rules for unilateral alternative parking)”, specifies the City of Toulouse.
For those who doubt it, this alternative parking system has certain advantages: “This makes it possible to authorize parking where it is not yet materialized on the ground and where it is not strictly prohibited for reasons of safety or standards, ”says the town hall. While residents of the streets often apply the good side of this alternative: “At least we don’t have cars in front (or on) our sidewalk all the time! “. An alternation which has the merit of distributing the nuisances by fortnight.
The town hall is however working “gradually on the materialization of the parking lot for better readability. This development will limit the risk of traffic entrainment – particularly for emergency and rescue vehicles, maintenance vehicles, garbage collection when the vehicles are parked on the wrong side of the street”, specifies on to the Capitol.
Because if generally, alternative unilateral parking is rather well followed, certain streets are exceptions and the passage of the garbage truck or emergency vehicles can be involved in the event of anarchic parking in the most often very narrow streets of Toulouse and its suburbs.