New app aims to rid Paris pavements of dog poo
Oliver Gee - [email protected]
Published: 27 Jun, 2016 CET.
Updated: Mon 27 Jun 2016 15:57 CET
A Frenchman is trying to convince Paris authorities to back his new smartphone app, which maps out dog poo across the city for street cleaners to find.
Even if you've only ever spent one day in Paris, you've probably seen the abundance of dog dung on the streets. In fact, you've probably even stepped in some.
However this could all be a thing of the past, according to Rémi Tournier who invented an app where users can put out alerts when and where they've spotted what the French call "crottoir" (a portmanteau for crotte - meaning dog poo and trottoir, the word for pavement).
It's called "Bye Bye Crottoir" (or "Bye Bye Pavement Dog Poo").
Users can then add a photo of the offending remains (as seen below), while dropping a pin exactly where they found it.
The idea is that when the city's street cleaners see the notification, they'll clean up the mess and then notify followers on the app that the street is clean again.
If you're thinking the idea is far fetched, then think again. Authorities in the town of Toul in north eastern France have already bought the app for €279 per year. Other towns are reportedly interested.
The price for Paris City Hall has been set at €790 per year, considering that the city is much larger (as is the number of dogs).
But Paris is yet to bite.
The Frenchman behind the app, an engineer from Toulouse who lives in Paris, came up with the idea after tiring of dodging the mess on the streets.
He told The Local that it was "nightmare" in Paris, especially for couples with young children.
"Sometimes it's so bad you have to leave the pavement and take your stroller onto the road, then you have to pay attention to all the reckless drivers too," he said.
He added that his app, in effect, could work to attract tourists back to France.
"Can you imagine any tourists visiting Paris that aren't shocked by this mess? Wouldn't they prefer to come back to a cleaner capital?"
He also hopes that the app will act as a wake up call for the offending dog owners who apparently just can't be bothered to clean up after their pooches.
The app is available for free in the App Store and on Android.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has recently cracked down on dog owners and those who litter in general across the city, raising the fine for those caught to €68.
Earlier this month, she presented her plan for the creation of an "anti-incivility brigade" to crack down on daily infractions of dog owners, as well as those caught littering.
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Even if you've only ever spent one day in Paris, you've probably seen the abundance of dog dung on the streets. In fact, you've probably even stepped in some.
However this could all be a thing of the past, according to Rémi Tournier who invented an app where users can put out alerts when and where they've spotted what the French call "crottoir" (a portmanteau for crotte - meaning dog poo and trottoir, the word for pavement).
It's called "Bye Bye Crottoir" (or "Bye Bye Pavement Dog Poo").
Users can then add a photo of the offending remains (as seen below), while dropping a pin exactly where they found it.
The idea is that when the city's street cleaners see the notification, they'll clean up the mess and then notify followers on the app that the street is clean again.
If you're thinking the idea is far fetched, then think again. Authorities in the town of Toul in north eastern France have already bought the app for €279 per year. Other towns are reportedly interested.
The price for Paris City Hall has been set at €790 per year, considering that the city is much larger (as is the number of dogs).
But Paris is yet to bite.
The Frenchman behind the app, an engineer from Toulouse who lives in Paris, came up with the idea after tiring of dodging the mess on the streets.
He told The Local that it was "nightmare" in Paris, especially for couples with young children.
"Sometimes it's so bad you have to leave the pavement and take your stroller onto the road, then you have to pay attention to all the reckless drivers too," he said.
He added that his app, in effect, could work to attract tourists back to France.
"Can you imagine any tourists visiting Paris that aren't shocked by this mess? Wouldn't they prefer to come back to a cleaner capital?"
He also hopes that the app will act as a wake up call for the offending dog owners who apparently just can't be bothered to clean up after their pooches.
The app is available for free in the App Store and on Android.
Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has recently cracked down on dog owners and those who litter in general across the city, raising the fine for those caught to €68.
Earlier this month, she presented her plan for the creation of an "anti-incivility brigade" to crack down on daily infractions of dog owners, as well as those caught littering.
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