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DRIVING

How transport in Paris will change in 2022

From flying taxis (maybe) to the RER Vélo, here's how transport will change in the French capital in 2022.

A VoloCopter prototype flies through the sky.
A VoloCopter prototype flies through the sky. The Parisian suburb of Pontoise will begin a trial of flying taxis in 2022. (Photo by Anthony WALLACE / AFP)

January 

Line 4 extended to Bagneux 

Line 4 of the Paris Metro will stretch 1.8km further south with two new stations, terminating in Bagneux in the southern suburbs. The Barbara (between Montrouge and Bagneux) and Bagneux stations will open on January 13th. As a result of this extension, 37,000 extra people are expected to use the Metro each day. Trains running on this line will be progressively automated from the summer. 

February 

Navigo users to be reimbursed for late trains

SNCF and RATP have said they will begin reimbursing Navigo pass holders for repeatedly late RER A and RER B trains. If less than 80 percent of rail services are on time over a period of several months, users will receive compensation for anywhere between half a month of subscription fees to one and a half months of conscription fees. Those who frequently use the RER B are most likely to benefit from compensation. Reimbursement will not be automatic as in 2021 – rail users will have to apply via a specially created website.

March 

Phase-out of paper Metro tickets 

Many Metro stations have already begun phasing out the old 10-pack metro tickets carnets. In March, almost all stations will have scrapped this purchase option altogether in an effort to push people towards purchasing rechargeable Navigo Easy cards or use the IDF Mobilities app instead. Cardboard tickets won’t disappear completely – it will still be possible to buy single tickets.

Flying taxi trial in Pontoise 

RATP, Aéroports de Paris and a company called Volocopter are striving to launch a flying taxi service, although we’re a long way off hailing a flying cab just yet. Prototypes are set to be trialled during the Spring in Pontoise, to the northwest of Paris. The vehicles are a sort of hybrid between drone and helicopter and will be capable of carrying up to four passengers at once. If the trials are successful, the company says that the aim is to have the service fully operational by 2024 – journeys would cost in the region of €100.  

April 

Price limits for Ile-de-France public transport 

The cost of most journeys on public transport in Ile-de-France will be limited to €5, or €4 per journey for people buying a carnet.

The move will be subsidised by regional authorities to the tune of some €60 million per year. It was a campaign promise of Valérie Pécresse, president of the Ile-de-France Regional Council and now presidential candidate. 

May 

Line 12 extended to Mairie-d’Aubervilliers

Line 12 of the Paris Metro will be extended northward, with two new stations – Aimé-Césaire and Mairie-d’Aubervilliers – opening in May. Residents of the northern suburbs have been waiting for this for nearly 20 years, but various problems, most recently including the Covid pandemic, delayed the project significantly. 

June 

Cycle lane network expands 

City authorities in Paris have promised to protect 60km of cycle lanes known as coronapistes, which were initially meant to be temporary solutions to reduce the saturation of public transport during the pandemic. In the Summer, this network will be expanded eastwards towards Place de la Bastille. The city has promised to construct a 650km network of cycle lanes by 2025. 

July 

New tramway in Yvelines 

After 5 years of construction, the T-13 tramway will finally open up in Yvelines, connecting Saint-Cyr-l’École in the south to Saint-Germain-en-Laye in the north. The line will link through RER C and RER A without users having to travel through Paris. Some 21,000 daily passengers are expected to use the service every day. 

Polluting vehicles banned from Paris 

Diesel cars registered before 2011 and petrol cars registered before 2006 will no longer be able to enter Paris from July 1st. All the land inside the A86 (the ring road surrounding the city) will be protected as a low emissions zone. Of the 5.4 million cars in the Paris region, about a quarter will no longer to be able to enter the city. 

August 

Works begin in Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame RER station 

At least four months of repair and maintenance work will begin on August 23rd in the RER C station, Saint-Michel-Notre-Dame, meaning that this stop will be temporarily out of service. The total cost of the work is estimated at €32 million. The Saint-Michel stop of the RER B and Line 4 will however remain operational. 

September 

Parking fees for motorbikes

From September 1st, parking will no longer be free for motorised two-wheeled vehicles on Paris. Drivers will have to pay €2-3 per hour to park their motorbikes/motorcycles, for a maximum of six hours at a time. City authorities have promised to put in place a monthly pass for non-resident bikers, which will allow them to park at cheaper rates at designated parking spots.  

End of the year 

City authorities are discussing the creation of a limited traffic zone in the centre of Paris, promising to put one in place in the second half of 2022. The aim is to reduce traffic in the four central arrondissements but it is unclear who will have the right to continue driving there. It looks likely that residents, taxis and business owners will be able to continue using these roads but that visitors and private chauffeurs will not. 

Member comments

  1. Hi Emma, I live in the UK but visit Paris regularly, and I’ve been using carnets of 10 metro tickets for 45 years 🙂

    I’ve just downloaded the IDF mobilites app. Do I need to buy / get a physical Navigo pass, which I then top up with Apple Pay, a bit like a London Oyster card? Or do I just open the app on my phone at the barrier? Thanks as ever for your really useful information (and words of the day!) Andrew

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EU

How would a ‘youth mobility scheme’ between the UK and EU really work?

The EU and the UK could enter into a 'youth mobility' scheme allowing young people to move countries to work, study and live. Here's what we know about the proposal.

How would a 'youth mobility scheme' between the UK and EU really work?

Across the 27 countries of the EU, people of all ages can move countries to work, study, spend a long visit or chase the possibility of love – and all this is possible thanks to EU freedom of movement.

That freedom no longer extends to the UK. As a result of Brexit, a UK national who wants to move to an EU country, or an EU citizen who wants to move to the UK, will need a visa in order to do so.

However, a new ‘mobility scheme’ could re-create some elements of freedom of movement, if the EU and UK can come to an agreement.

The European Commission on Thursday announced proposals for a ‘youth mobility scheme’.

Who would benefit?

First things first, it’s only for the youngsters, older people will have to continue with the time-consuming and often expensive process of getting a visa for study, work or visiting.

The Commission’s proposal is for a scheme that covers people aged 18 to 30. 

Their reasoning is: “The withdrawal of the UK from the EU has resulted in decreased mobility between the EU and the UK. This situation has particularly affected the opportunities for young people to experience life on the other side of the Channel and to benefit from youth, cultural, educational, research and training exchanges.

“The proposal seeks to address in an innovative way the main barriers to mobility for young people experienced today and create a right for young people to travel from the EU to the UK and vice-versa more easily and for a longer period of time.”

How would it work?

We’re still at an early stage, but the proposal is to allow extended stays – for young people to be able to spend up to four years in the EU or UK – under a special type of visa or residency permit. It does not, therefore, replicate the paperwork-free travel of the pre-Brexit era.

The Commission states that travel should not be ‘purpose bound’ to allow young people to undertake a variety of activities while they are abroad.

Under the visa system, people must travel to a country for a specific purpose which has been arranged before they leave – ie in order to study they need a student visa which requires proof of enrolment on a course, or if they intend to work they need a working visa which often requires sponsorship from an employer.

The proposal would allow young people to spend their time in a variety of ways – perhaps some time working, a period of study and then some time travelling or just relaxing.

It would also not be subject to national or Bloc-wide quotas.

It seems that some kind of visa or residency permit would still be required – but it would be issued for up to four years and could be used for a variety of activities.

Fees for this should not be “excessive” – and the UK’s health surcharge would not apply to people travelling under this scheme.

Are there conditions?

Other than the age qualification, the proposal is that young people would have to meet other criteria, including having comprehensive health insurance, plus financial criteria to ensure that they will be able to support themselves while abroad.

The visa/residency permit could be rejected on the ground of threats to public policy, public security or public health.

Will this happen soon?

Slow down – what’s happened today is that the European Commission has made a recommendation to open negotiations.

This now needs to be discussed in the Council of Europe.

If the Council agrees then, and only then, will the EU open negotiations with the UK on the subject. The scheme could then only become a reality if the EU and UK come to an agreement on the terms of the scheme, and then refine the fine details.

Basically we’re talking years if it happens at all, and there’s plenty of steps along the way that could derail the whole process.

Don’t start packing just yet.

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