Days before the opening of the Paris Paralympic Games, the head of the Paris transport authority urged a commitment to making the Paris metro accessible to all, admitting that the current system is nearly impossible for disabled people to navigate.
While all central Paris buses can accommodate wheelchairs, only 25 percent of rail services –metros, trams, and RER suburban trains – are accessible, said Valérie Pécresse, president of the Paris region and head of its transport network.
She addressed reporters on Monday, just two days before the Paralympics begin.
The Games, which run through 8 September, have highlighted the lack of accessible transportation in and around Paris.
The city's historic metro lines "remain the weak spot" in terms of accessibility, Pécresse said.
The metro, which first opened in 1900, has become the busiest network in the European Union, carrying over four million passengers daily through more than 300 stations.
Only one line – the most recent, Line 14 – is fully accessible, with 20 of the network’s 29 wheelchair-friendly stations.
Pécresse suggested that retrofitting the older lines could be the major project of the next decade, following the Grand Paris Express project, which is introducing four new metro lines to the greater Paris area next year..
The effort "could become the great project of this decade", she said.
The estimated cost of such a project would be between 15 and 20 billion euros over 20 years. Pécresse said the region is ready to cover 30 percent of the cost, with the state and city expected to fund the remainder.
In the meantime, Paralympic organisers have arranged a shuttle service for disabled visitors to reach competition venues, and a smartphone app is available to help plan journeys.
(with AFP)
