French MPs support making hospital parking free

A proposal to make parking free at public hospitals for patients and staff, with limited free access for visitors, was approved by MPs last week. 

The bill, adopted at first reading on January 29, would guarantee free parking for patients for the full duration of their medical care. 

Visitors would be entitled to two hours of free parking, after which charges could apply, subject to a daily cap of €15.

The Senate must still examine the text before it can become law.

Hospital car park fees

The measure seeks to quell growing criticism of hospital parking charges, which have increased in recent years as many sites have outsourced parking management to private operators who frequently charge significant fees. 

Some hospitals already offer a period of free parking before then levying fees.

MPs from across the political spectrum have long argued that parking fees can represent a significant additional burden for patients and families, particularly during long hospital stays.

In 2023, France’s then health minister François Braun said the issue was “not a priority”, however the situation has continued to rumble on.

In recent months, proposals on the subject were tabled by both the far-right Rassemblement National and far-left La France Insoumise before MPs ultimately adopted text proposed by the Socialist Party whose MP Stéphane Hablot introduced the proposal. 

Mr Hablot said during parliamentary debates that hospital car parks had become “a source of anxiety” for many patients, with costs sometimes reaching several tens of euros per day. 

Supporters of the bill argue that access to healthcare should not be accompanied by unavoidable ancillary costs.

The bill stops short of introducing universal free parking. MPs from the centrist MoDem party and President Macron’s Renaissance group opposed full free access for visitors, warning that it could lead to car parks being occupied by non-hospital users, reducing availability for patients and staff.

Ministers echoed those concerns, arguing that unrestricted free parking could result in congestion and undermine hospital access, particularly in urban areas. 

As adopted, the compromise is based on data cited during debates suggesting that around 80% of hospital visits last less than two hours. 

If approved by the Senate, the law would apply only to public hospitals and not cover private healthcare establishments.