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Yellow vest, fuel price and health pass protests planned in France on Saturday

Dozens of protests against rising energy prices and the health passport are planned in towns and cities across France this weekend.

Published: 22 October 2021 14:56 CEST

A protester wearing a hi-visibility vest holds up a sign reading 'Non au pass sanitaire' during a protest in France

Yellow vests have called for more protests this Saturday. Photo by Thomas Samson / AFP

The ‘yellow vests’ are leading the protests against increasing fuel prices, the cause that started the protests three years ago. A call has gone out for a ‘return to the roundabouts’, the movement’s favoured protest site when their demonstrations began in late 2018.

The first new ‘yellow vests’ protests last week were limited in scope, police said, and authorities do not expect a large increase in the scale of demonstrations this week – despite mounting anger on popular activists’ social media.

The French government on Thursday sought to defuse growing anger about record fuel prices, announcing a price cap on household gas until the end of 2022 and a €100 grant for people struggling with petrol price rises.

READ ALSO When and where to get the cheapest fuel in France

Meanwhile, protests against the health pass are continuing for a 15th successive week, despite falling numbers. From a high of around 250,000 marchers in the summer, 40,000 protested the pass last weekend, according to official figures, compared to 45,000 the weekend before.

The number of protests is also dwindling, police have said that about 60 events are planned across France on Saturday, compared to about 200 at the height of the marches against the pass sanitaire this summer.

Rallies are planned in Paris from 2pm, as well as cities such as Marseille, Lille, Lannion and Amiens. In Strasbourg a ‘Marche blanche et silencieuse’ is planned in support of emergency service workers who lost their jobs for refusing compulsory vaccination.

READ ALSO French MPs agree extension of health pass until July 2022

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Meet France's tiny cars that you don't need a licence to drive

The range of ‘cars’ known as voitures sans permis have gained something of a following among young people living in towns and cities – in part because it’s legal to drive them from the age of 14, and you don’t need a full driving licence.

Really.

These are small, lightweight vehicles that are subject to strict restrictions on size and speed, and cannot be used on motorways or high-speed roads that, as the title suggests does not need the driver to hold a full licence.

The first thing you’ll likely notice about them is that they are small – about half the size of a regular car.

It’s probably easiest to think of them as a hybrid between small motorcycles and standard cars.

They used to be quite big in rural France, but because they have a roof, and windows, and four wheels, they are considered safer than mopeds for young people looking to get around in urban environments, so you are likely to see them taking up car parking spaces in and around lycées, for example.

They’re not just for kids though, an increasing number of city-dwellers who just need a runaround for local trips are attracted to them because of their price and also because they’re easy to park (being so tiny).

Although they’re called ‘no licence’ vehicles, you do in fact need some paperwork.

The driver of a voiture sans permis must:

Be at least 14 years old;
Hold an AM licence (which is still commonly called a brevet de sécurité routière or BSR) if they were born after January 1st, 1988. Anyone born before this date does not need to hold this licence;
Cannot drive if their driving licence has been suspended by the courts;
Cannot take more than one passenger in their licence-free car;
Cannot travel on motorways, fast main roads or bypasses.

What’s an AM licence?

As we’ve already mentioned, many people – particularly older road users in France – will refer to this as a BSR, which was the qualification that allowed people to ride a motorcycle with an engine size of 50cm³ or smaller, or a licence-free car.

The newer AM licence does that, and also permits the holder to ride a light quadricycle (quad bike) with the same engine size limits.

Getting this licence costs between €150 and €400 and involves theoretical and practical aspects. Applicants must pass a theory exam and undertake eight hours of driving – three of which must be in traffic with an instructor.

Once awarded, an AM licence is valid for 15 years across EU countries. Remember, only motorists born on or after January 1st, 1988, need to have undertaken the requisite training to drive a vehicle sans permis.

So what cars can you drive?

Technically, they’re not cars, per se. They’re quadricycles, or four-wheel mopeds.

And they have technical limitations. Since January 1st, 2017, these vehicles are limited to an empty mass of 425kg, must have a small fuel engine or an electric engine limited to 6 kW, and be able to carry no more than two people, including the driver.

Their maximum speed is limited to 45km/h, and they cannot be more than three metres in length.

There are a number of makes and models out there. Among the major manufacturers, Citroen make the electric AMI, and Renault the Twizy, both of which are classed as vehicles sans permis.

Aixam and Ligier each make a range of vehicles that you don’t need a full licence to drive.

Watch out, too, for the Chatenet and the Italian Casalini.

So they’re not just a France thing?

Not at all. You’ll see them on roads in Germany, Portugal, Italy and Belgium.

Okay, how much?

The AMI is around €7,990 to buy – though you can arrange a location longue durée deal from €49.99 per month (which includes the government financial aid available for all types of electric car leasing).

Otherwise, prices tend to range from €10,000 to more than €16,000 – and you’ll still need insurance. So, not necessarily cheap.

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