Anticipate and adapt your movements.
This is the message that the government wishes to send to the French, and more specifically to Parisians, for the period of the Olympic Games.
At the risk of this message going poorly to those who are dependent on their car or public transport to get around.
“In these big events, you have to adapt your behavior. Maybe it's time to get your bike out again. Because there will be no restrictions on cycling or walking. During the Olympics and the Paralympic Games, traveling by bike will be very, very free
,” insisted Minister Delegate for Transport Patrice Vergriete on TF1 this Thursday morning.
Because on the roads and in the trains and metros, it will be a different story.
Patrice Vergriete's predecessor, Clément Beaune, even declared last November that the traffic plans would be "
hardcore
" in Paris.
They have since been presented, at the end of November, and the movement restrictions are indeed heavy, although they have recently been eased by the Paris police chief, Laurent Nuñez.
“The big struggle will begin from July 1 to 15
,” even before the Olympics, due to preparations for the opening ceremony, scheduled for July 26 on the Seine, Laurent Nuñez even declared on Franceinfo last week.
Also read: Which metro stations should you avoid during the Olympic Games?
Some lines “saturated at certain times”
On TF1 this Thursday, Patrice Vergriete wanted to reassure Parisians, affirming that there would be
“very few”
traffic restrictions during
“the entire duration of the Games”
.
“It is essentially the opening ceremony which will have a strong impact on Paris, in particular a certain number of bridges for traffic and a certain number of metro and RER stations
,” he assured.
However, the Minister of Transport does not deny that, in public transport,
“a certain number of lines will be saturated at certain times”
during the entire Games period, with the expected influx of
“500,000
additional travelers”.
It is to allow Parisians to prepare their trips that the government launched the dedicated site anticipaterlesjeux.gouv.fr,
“to be able to better inform the population, to be able to anticipate their trips”
, indicated Patrice Vergriete.
It includes an interactive map listing the impacts on roads and public transport during the Games period.