Public transport is a major concern for all Ile-de-France residents less than a year away from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Delays, missing new lines, staff shortages - the metro is far from a daily pleasure, and the influx of tourists next summer isn't reassuring users about the ability of transport to provide connections between Olympic venues. But the situation is even worse for the disabled, with only 9% of stations accessible, and 22 out of 26 public elevators out of order, according to Le Parisien.
Yet the Paris Games are supposed to be about accessibility. After the Olympics, the Paralympics will kick off on August 28, 2024, and will welcome many disabled athletes, as well as almost 350,000 disabled supporters. But how will they get around on public transport, apart from line 14, the most accessible line in the Paris region? RATP assures us that all Olympic venues will be accessible.
Franck Maille, a member of the APF France Handicap association, denounces the lack of accessibility and care on Cnews, since a ramp or elevator is needed to make a station passable. In the years to come, the city of Paris aims to improve the lives of disabled people in the capital, a move in line with the legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
