In early May, a few days before the first phase of deconfinement, the government announced that a certificate would be required during peak hours in public transport in Île-de-France. This restriction was imposed during the week between 6.30 a.m. and 9.30 a.m., then between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. It has made it possible to considerably unclog very often crowded trains. Only a “compelling reason” (work, health, school, etc.) could then justify moving during these intervals. In case of non-compliance with this rule, everyone risked a fine of 135 euros. Or the same ticket as the one previously distributed for non-compliance with confinement.
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First concerned by these exceptional measures, the RATP, driven by Île-de-France Mobilités, does not seem to have been informed before these peak hours. As of May 4, the management has put in place almost a million stickers in stations, stations, trains and buses. The goal was to "recall the barrier gestures" , we say. On these stickers, one can indeed observe masks logos, inviting to physical distance or to sneeze in one's elbow. Others simply resume peak hours. However, the printing of this signage having been launched well before the state measures and the charter signed on May 7 by the Île-de-France region, the schedules entered did not correspond to the famous “6:30 am to 9:30 am; 4 pm-7pm ”.
One of the stickers affixed in the Paris metro. GEOFFROY VAN DER HASSELT / AFP
Strips to correct the error
On one of the circle-shaped stickers stamped "Avoid rush hours if we can", the interval 8:30 am to 9:30 am; 5.30 p.m. - 6.30 p.m. has therefore been registered. Another panel, spotted by us, evoked an interval from 8:30 to 9:30 am and from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, causing confusion for users. Some of them have also reported this hiccup on social networks. A user even noted on May 17 that at the Champigny-sur-Marne station, the peak hour displayed was between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., an error, according to the company. “This educational signage was designed in particular with a sticker mentioning the peak hours to avoid. The hours initially indicated on this sticker were those of the hyper tip to the RATP ” , justifies the RATP, questioned by us.
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Agents were mobilized to correct the erroneous stickers. RATP
Consequence: since May 11, the management is trying somehow to catch up. Agents were specially mobilized to stick strips on the wrong time stickers. This Tuesday, the RATP assured us that all of these imprecise stickers had been rectified. However, we still found some copies of this signage, especially on line 4 of the metro. “In addition, as a reminder, the attestation control schedules are widely disseminated in all stations via audio messages, on social networks, on our website and our application. Our agents are also present at the station to inform travelers, ” we say, describing this error as “ non-subject ” . Despite the hiccups, the users, for their part, were fortunately not checked or verbalized outside of government rush hours. These hours "are voluntarily wider than the hyper peak to allow social distancing," says one.