Roads in France are “on the brink of collapse” and the problem is worsening due to a lack of funds available for local authorities, mayors in France are warning.
The Association des maires de France (AMF) denounced what it called an “unbalanced economic model”, in which the state collects 90% of road revenue but is only directly responsible for 1% of the network.
The mayors’ statement came ahead of the launch of a national conference on road and transport financing by the Transport Ministry, and coincides with the ministry having commissioned a representative survey * of the “place that transport has in people’s lives [in France]”.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said that people have “high expectations for infrastructure investment, particularly for the national road network and rail transport”, the AMF report states.
Road maintenance ‘a priority’
The poll found that the majority of people in France believe road maintenance should be the first priority (64%) when it comes to transport spending, followed by 61% for pedestrian pavements, 56% on trains, and 45% on cycle paths.
Mayors say they are responsible for 65.5% of the national network, but that they are finding it increasingly difficult to access the funds they need to maintain it. This is leading to poor-quality roads, with potholes and cracks, and narrow pavements, they said.
The AMF is calling for part of the revenue generated by road use – such as fines and toll payments – to be returned to local authorities, so they can reinvest it in roads.
Sylvain Laval, co-chair of the transport committee at the AMF, said: "There are roads that are shifting, landslides and mudslides because it's very hot, or because there's heavy rain. We don't have the capacity to meet these additional needs when we're already struggling to meet the current ones.”
He said that local authorities spend more than €15billion a year on road maintenance, but claims that too much of the nation’s road revenue goes to the state, rather than to officials who can maintain local roads.
“Every year, the state collects more than €45billion from roads [such as fines, taxes etc],” said Frédéric Cuillerier, co-chair of the AMF’s Transport, Mobility and Roads Committee, “or 90%, while it is only responsible for 1% of the network.
“Local authorities receive only crumbs,” he said.
Tolls and change to the system?
The income collected by road tolls does not come back to the local mayors; they are concessions run by private companies. These pay royalties to the state, but not municipal authorities, the AMF states.
However, the Transport Ministry poll said that 90% of people in France would welcome a toll-based system to help finance the maintenance of other roads, not just motorways, and would prefer this system to the idea of raising general taxes.
One mayor, Sébastien Leclerc, of Lisieux (Calvados, Normandy) said that the town’s lack of funds means roads are often left in poor repair for longer than they should be. “We have to choose according to urgency and condition, often to the detriment of another neighbourhood where there is more demand and more work to be done,” he told BFMTV.
Mr Leclerc added that the city is planning to spend £700,000 on roads in 2025, but that this sum is still only half of what would be needed to bring everything up to scratch and maintain it properly.
“I have pavements that are not in good condition, but they are not included in the programme, so they will have to wait,” he said. “We patch up the potholes, but these repairs may have to be repeated every year for several years until we have the budget to rebuild the roads [properly].”
HGV driver Jean-Baptiste told RMC that the roads he uses are becoming “a disaster”.
“There are potholes everywhere, sections of road are collapsing and starting to become dangerous,” he said.
“In Ariège, we have a road that leads to a medical-educational institute, but there was a landslide six years ago, and for six years now we've only been able to drive on one lane because they don't have the money to repair it. In the Paris region, if you take the 104 or the A86, it's like being in a salad spinner when you drive through in a truck.”
Walking and cars most popular
The Transport Ministry poll found that cars and walking are the two preferred modes of transport for people in France, particularly for working people, who see them as the most essential modes of transport for getting to work (70% for cars and 36% for walking).
Overall, 88% of people in France said they use their car at least once a week (98% in rural areas), while 31% use urban public transport, 26% cycle, and 13% take the train.
Three in four people walk for journeys of more than 10 minutes at least twice a week.
Read more: Badly maintained roads in France - can you get compensation if your car is damaged?
Claiming compensation
If your vehicle is damaged due to poor road maintenance in France – such as from driving over a pothole – you may be entitled to compensation.
The first step is to identify who is responsible for maintaining the road where the incident occurred. If it is a city street, contact the mairie.
For departmental roads, it is the conseil départemental. National roads and non-toll highways are the responsibility of the prefecture, while privately operated motorways fall under the concessionary company in charge.
To support your claim, it is essential to gather strong evidence. Take detailed photos of the road hazard and the damage to your vehicle. Collect witness statements if possible, and file a police report. In some cases, a bailiff’s report can strengthen your case.
It is important to prove a direct connection between the poor condition of the road and the damage caused.
Authorities may try to deny or reduce responsibility by arguing that they took preventive actions, such as placing warning signs, or that the driver was negligent (speeding or not paying attention).
If the damage is significant and no agreement can be reached, you have the right to take legal action. Claims must be filed within four years of the incident before the administrative court.
The legal argument in such cases is generally based on the road authority’s failure to fulfill its maintenance duty. Compensation could cover repair costs and, in some cases, additional damages.
However, the process can be long and requires persistence and well-documented evidence.
*Survey by Toluna and Harris Interactive completed online from April 9-11, on a representative sample of 1,033 people aged 18 or over in France, adjusted for sex, age, socio-economic category, region, and city of residence.
