In recent days, residents of the Paris region have seen signs and road markings appear on the roads.
Signage put in place for the Paris Olympic Games, which designates reserved traffic lanes.
And as of July 15, any unauthorized motorist using them may be fined.
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Paris 2024 Olympic Games
Using them could cost you dearly in the coming weeks. In recent days, several roads in the Île-de-France region have seen the appearance of very particular signs and road markings. These devices were put in place as part of the Olympic Games and designate the traffic lanes reserved for passenger transport vehicles accredited by the 2024 Olympic Games organizing committee. TF1info explains how this system works, which is due to come into effect on July 15 and will end on September 15.
What are the areas concerned?
In total, 185 km of roads are affected by these traffic restrictions. These are not entire portions, but rather a lane or lane which will be reserved for accredited people, the other lanes remaining accessible to all vehicles. The list of these axes was established by decree n°2022-786 of May 4, 2022, and concerns the departments of Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-de-Marne, and Seine. -et-Marne, Yvelines and Val-d’Oise.
According to the text, the following axes are concerned by the “Olympic routes”:
– the A1 between Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Porte de la Chapelle
– the A4 between Collégien and Porte de Bercy
– the A12 between Rocquencourt and Montigny le Bretonneux
– the A13 between Porte Maillot and Rocquencourt
– the ring road, from Porte de Vanves to Porte de Bercy via the north
– the circular boulevard (La Défense)
– certain Parisian axes
Who will be able to take the “Olympic routes”?
Only certain vehicles will be allowed to use these lanes. This will particularly be the case for vehicles of people accredited by the organizing committee for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, taxis, public transport vehicles, vehicles intended to promote the transport of people with reduced mobility or even vehicles rescue and safety, “in order to ensure their circulation in optimal conditions of safety and fluidity”, specifies the website of the Ministry of the Interior.
On the other hand, if VTCs have obtained access to areas near competition sites, they remain banned from these Olympic lanes and denounce an advantage left to the 20,000 Parisian taxis during this period which should be particularly busy for the sector. It should also be noted that two-wheelers are banned from these lanes and will not be able to overtake in inter-file on these axes.
How to recognize these paths?
Precise signs and markings are present on the axes concerned by the Olympic routes. Already in place, they are easily located and identified by the website of the Ministry of the Interior. Here are the signs to look for:
As well as the ground markings:
What are the risks for a non-accredited and non-controlled motorist on these roads?
The Ministry of the Interior has warned that any person checked on these roads and who is not authorized to use them may be fined from July 15. A fine which will amount to 135 euros with a risk of legal proceedings. And to control offenders, cameras with plate reading have been installed on the roads concerned, with a large police force deployed to carry out checks.
Finally, it should be noted that the roads will not be permanently closed to non-accredited motorists, a road closure schedule having been defined by the Ministry of the Interior:
– From July 15 to September 11: the A1 between Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Porte de la Chapelle
– From July 15 to August 13 then from August 30 to September 8: the A4 between Collégien and Porte de Bercy
– From July 15 to August 13 then from August 27 to September 8: the A13 between Porte Maillot and Rocquencourt and the A12 between Rocquencourt and Montigny le Bretonneux
– From July 15 to August 13 then from August 22 to September 11: the ring road, from Porte de Vanves to Porte de Bercy via the north and the circular boulevard (La Défense)
