In the corridors of Porte-de-Pantin station in Paris (19th arrondissement), Djeneba Sakou, 47, is on his way to receive his first dose of vaccine against Covid-19.
A first step towards a gradual return to "normal" life, because Djeneba no longer hides his weariness.
“Of course I'm sick of having to wear the mask.
It bothers me, I have trouble breathing, ”she admits.
So much so that for almost a year, she has been trying to limit her trips by metro.
"I'm lucky to have a car, so except for appointments near my home, I don't take the risk of contaminating myself in transport," explains the 40-year-old.
Like her, many Parisian transport users hope for the end of the compulsory mask for travel.
"We must keep it at least until next year, it's more careful"
But so far, no sign of improvement has filtered through from the executive side.
Monday, May 17, at the microphone of BFMTV, the Minister of Solidarity and Health, Olivier Véran, was rather optimistic about the possibility of no longer imposing the mask in certain open-air and very ventilated spaces from this summer, without give more details.
Île-de-France Mobilités, for its part, has not received any specific instructions.
The group announces that it will follow "the directives of the authorities".
According to Olivier Véran, maintaining the obligation to wear a mask in town centers, shops and closed places is justified as long as vaccination coverage is not considered satisfactory.
Thus, it is difficult to envisage the end of the mask in transport before the fall, at least.
An assumption shared by users of the Paris metro.
"We must keep it at least until next year, it's more careful", judge Luca Camilloni, 41, chef in Paris.
"We have learned to live with the mask, and even with the vaccination I think we still have it for at least a year," he continues.
Some are even more radical, like Julia Mouroux, hairdresser.
“I believe that the mask will become the norm,” she believes.
“Maybe our children will have to travel in masks from now on.
The young woman does not want to be alarmist, but seems a little resigned.
According to her, the mask is now part of our lives.
A timid return of users in public transport
Indeed, the pandemic has had a strong impact on the daily lives of travelers, to such an extent that the Paris metro has suffered a drop in attendance of more than 50% compared to 2019. Many feared contracting the virus in public transport. Some have managed to adapt their journeys to avoid the metro, others have never stopped taking it. “It's true that I was scared at first, but I needed to move. In the end, by remaining cautious, I was quickly reassured, ”recalls Weerawut Chaypetch, sales consultant in Paris.
Early in the morning, crowds on the metro platforms remain low, but a gradual recovery seems to be starting. "People have the feeling that there are more people in recent weeks, which leads them to bear less saturation of the trains and to strictly respect the wearing of the mask", details Arnaud Bertrand of the association Plus de Trains. “There is a real rejection of promiscuity linked to the epidemic. “Thus, more than the end of the obligation to wear a mask, Ile-de-France transport users especially wish not to return to the level of affluence before the crisis.