Le Figaro Nantes
Unbearable engine noises. Tampered with motorized vehicles traveling at high speed generating a climate of insecurity. Material damage noted after their passage. For several months, the P2 car park at the Zénith Nantes Métropole has been transformed into a real circuit at nightfall. On Friday evening, weather permitting, hundreds of fans rev their vehicles in front of a large crowd. Enough to drive local residents and neighboring businesses crazy.
“There are periods when it’s from Friday to Saturday until 3 a.m.
,” notes one of them who has lived in the area for around twenty years.
“Last summer it was less, now it’s getting worse. “People should have
double glazing
to avoid noise
,” notes the man who is also president of the association of the neighboring Bergerie district. A petition is being prepared and should soon be sent to the prefecture. With the nice weather coming, sleeping with the window open in a heatwave is proving difficult, and outdoor barbecues are compromised.
Institutionalized event
Running a business located just across the street from the track, this boss also endures these rodeos. If no one occupies the premises at the time of the runs,
“the inconveniences are mainly the restoration of the parking lot by these events, cluttered with rubbish, waste, damaged medians, tire debris…”
. He has been observing these races for at least three years, but with varying frequency. He has already observed attempted intrusions into his buildings.
“There is a kind of institutionalization of this event which attracts both the people who put on these shows and the spectators. It becomes an outing
,” he regrets. On Facebook, a group brings together fans of these practices, who come from neighboring departments such as Morbihan and Vendée.
“We are aware of what is happening in our city
,” reports Jocelyn Gendek, deputy mayor of the town where the zenith is located.
“I think
Saint-Herblain
was well known around Nantes, there was plenty to do in rodeos
. ”
Responsible for public peace and risk prevention, he has been following this subject for a long time.
“We had a lot of feedback from local residents. What is disturbing is the noise of the engines and the speed of the vehicles
. It is in this context that the municipality (managed by a PS mayor) is working with the police to put an end to the phenomenon and that a major operation took place last Friday evening.
“The departmental intervention company had already been going for several months to evict them and make it clear that this parking lot is not a circuit
,” explains the national police to Le
Figaro
44. But last week, a large-scale system was deployed , in agreement with the prosecution, in the presence of the CRS. That’s almost a hundred staff.
“300 vehicles were gathered together racing cars, in the immediate vicinity of unprotected pedestrians and children
,” the agents noted. 300 fines were issued, five vehicles were confiscated and five people arrested. 118 speeding incidents originating from a radar installed on the ring road were recorded, including one at 250 km/h on a portion limited to 90 km/h.
The goal is that it doesn't start again at all
Jocelyn Gendek, deputy mayor of Saint-Herblain in charge of Public Peace
“We placed the emphasis on safety, to prevent there being other tragedies with this risky behavior
,” insists the police. In 2015, when rodeo scenes were taking place in another sector of Saint-Herblain, a 17-year-old girl was struck down by a car taking part in an illegal race. From now on, the goal is to put a definitive end to these gatherings.
“The checks will continue to understand that this is not happening
,” claims the police. At the same time, before the summer,
“we are going to arrange the parking lot to remove any desire to continue this regrouping
,” continues Jocelyn Gendek, the elected official from Herblin. Berlin cushions, these large rectangles which serve as speed bumps, will be installed, as well as other relief bands.
“The goal is for it not to start again at all. We would have liked to react more quickly for the residents. It takes a lot of time
,” he emphasizes, specifying that an operation had already taken place in November.
As for the residents, they are waiting to see and sincerely hope that this will help stem the nuisance. A local resident on a boulevard located 100 meters away as the crow flies wonders:
“Before, it was in an industrial zone. They dislodged them and they landed on the zenith. Afterwards, they go elsewhere?
According to
Presse Océan
, of the four young adults and the minor arrested, three were placed under judicial supervision and will be judged on October 8, 2024. One was to be summoned before the juvenile judge, while a preliminary investigation was opened time to check certain elements concerning the last one.