Parking Ticket Tribunal Faces Massive Backlog

The Tribunal du stationnement payant is the primary judicial authority for contesting parking fines in the nation. Despite its specialized role, it remains a small jurisdiction with limited resources. The current crisis stems from a structural inability to handle the volume of cases being referred to it. The tribunal is not just busy; it is completely submerged by the flood of new cases arriving daily.

According to available information, the tribunal is dealing with a backlog of approximately 350,000 dossiers en suspens (pending files). This number represents a massive accumulation of unresolved cases. The human resources available to tackle this mountain of paperwork are minimal, with only 15 magistrates tasked with reviewing every single appeal. This creates a ratio of caseload to judicial staff that is simply unsustainable.

The consequences of this backlog are severe for the public. Individuals who wish to contest a parking fine are facing a wait time of more than two years. This extended delay means that justice is effectively denied, as the process becomes so protracted that it loses its practical value for the average citizen. The system is designed to handle disputes, but it is currently failing to do so in a timely manner.

The primary driver behind this judicial overload is the technology used for modern parking enforcement. The fines in question are generated automatically by voitures LAPI (LAPI vehicles). These automated systems can issue a high volume of tickets with minimal human intervention, creating a constant stream of new cases for the tribunal to consider.

This creates a fundamental mismatch in the system:

• Automated Generation: Fines are produced rapidly and continuously by machines.
• Manual Review: Appeals must be reviewed individually by human magistrates.
• Capacity Gap: The speed of generation far exceeds the speed of judicial review.

The forfaits post-stationnement (post-parking fines) are therefore accumulating at a rate the court cannot match. While the technology ensures efficient enforcement for the city, it has created an inefficient and overwhelmed judicial process for those who wish to challenge it. The tribunal is left trying to catch up with a machine-driven caseload that never stops growing.

Behind the statistics of 350,000 pending files are countless citizens caught in a bureaucratic limbo. For every file in the backlog, there is a person or business waiting for a resolution. The wait time of plus de deux ans (more than two years) has a significant impact on individuals' financial planning and trust in the justice system.

The process of contesting a fine is meant to be a check and balance, ensuring that errors can be corrected. However, when the review process takes longer than two years, it becomes a deterrent in itself. Many may choose to pay the fine rather than wait an unreasonable period for a judgment. This effectively nullifies the right to appeal for many, as the cost of waiting—both in time and stress—is too high.

The Tribunal du stationnement payant is therefore not just facing a logistical problem; it is facing a crisis of access to justice. The institution's inability to follow the pace of automated fines means that its core function is compromised. Citizens are left with a system that is technically functional but practically inaccessible, creating widespread frustration and a sense of administrative injustice.