Paris: Looking at other cities, the Paris underground metro system has become a daily disappointment as the French capital prepares to host this year’s Olympics.
“It’s hard and we’re not going to the Olympics,” 26-year-old restaurant worker Juliette Fayoud told AFP on the Line 8 platform.
“There are not enough trains. Sometimes there are trains every five to three minutes in an emergency,” he said.
In 2020, the RATP, which runs the capital’s transportation system, saw a drop in user satisfaction after travel and service cuts.
Many Metro workers were laid off and never returned to work, while training to replace them has slowed significantly.
“I think it will be scary during the Olympics,” 22-year-old daily shopper Gabrielle Kamus told AFP as she waited for the train. “I plan to use my bike and avoid the subway as much as possible.”
According to public data, one in five trains on some Paris metro lines was delayed last year, with users sometimes waiting 10 or 15 minutes a day in the worst-hit areas.
Passengers on the larger underground train, known as the RER line, have been asked to pay for three consecutive years in 2023 due to timing issues. Services are still not back to pre-Covid levels.
With approximately seven million tourists expected in Paris from July 26 to August 11 for the Olympics, the passenger train system will be tightly controlled as one of the main modes of transportation for tourists and locals.
The great political pressure before the Games and the appointment of former prime minister Can Castex as RATP chairman in 2022 has gradually eased in recent months, according to research by the capital’s transport authority.
Castex warned in December that eight out of ten lines were “failing to provide high-quality public services” and blamed it on “40 years of underinvestment”.
But due in part to hiring key staff, all lines except 3, 8 and RER C hit their lowest performance level of 90 percent in March, according to the latest data.
Workers are also racing to extend key routes ahead of the Olympics, mainly connecting Orly Airport in the south to the 14th avenue and a new transport hub near the Stade de France, which will house the athletes, in the north.
“It’s a difficult problem for us to face,” Valerie Pécres, head of the greater Paris region, told reporters as she presented the transport plan for the Olympics at the end of March.
Some metro or RER lines, especially those serving football, tennis or athletic stadiums, will have 71 percent more trains than in a normal summer.
The challenge is not the sheer number of tourists – public transport is expected to be no higher than on a normal weekday – but the peak demand when fans enter and leave the stadium.
“You should not be afraid to walk a little,” Pekres told the Parisians. “Good for your health”
In a city that is slowly moving cars, Paris also wants to show off its latest bicycle revolution.
Each Olympic sports venue will pass through 415 kilometers (258 miles) of new cycle paths, as well as 20,000 stops.
There is no car parking at the sports venue, but traffic congestion in the capital is expected to be worse than usual due to road closures.
Committee chief Tony Estanguet expressed confidence last week that city trains, buses, trams and roundabouts could solve the problem.
“To Journalists” This is a critical issue for the successful establishment and success of the organization. We know very well,” he said.
Paris’ two main airports, Charles de Gaulle and Orly, are also set to play a major role and have built 15 new double check-in lanes between them.
“The infrastructure is ready,” his company’s CEO said recently.
Traffic was similar to the summer average of 300,000 visitors per day, but with demand increasing in the days following the August 11 closing ceremony.
Creaking Paris metro system to face Olympic test
