Like an air of December 2019. The social movement at the RATP for salary increases will be very popular this Friday. The new traffic forecast published this Thursday report eight closed metro lines (2, 3bis, 5, 7bis, 8, 10, 11 and 12). Six others (3, 4, 6, 7, 9 and 13) will only operate at peak times, at least (between 1 train out of 2 and 1 train out of 4) with a large number of stations closed (read the list below below).
On the RER side, lines A and B will only run from 5:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. There will be only one in two trains during peak hours and one in three during off-peak hours on RER A and B. The RATP website details the disruptions on the tram and bus network line by line. If the T8 will operate normally, the T2, T3a and T3b will only run part of the day on part of their route. Only automatic lines 1 and 14 will run normally. The RATP “apologies” and advises travelers to postpone their trips.
Stations closed on lines in service
Line 1 : Reuilly-Diderot, Bastille, City Hall and Concorde.
Line 3 : Villiers.
Line 4 : Marcadet-Poissonniers, Barbès – Rochechouart, Gare de l’Est, Strasbourg – Saint-Denis, Odéon, Saint-Placide, Raspail and Alésia.
Line 7: Cadet, Stalingrad, Gare de l’Est, Opera, Jussieu and Place d’Italie.
Line 9 : Exelmans, Jasmin, Alma – Marceau, Charonne, Maraîchers, République, Strasbourg – Saint-Denis, Grands Boulevards, Trocadéro, Michel-Ange – Molitor.
Line 13 : Pernety, Duroc, Varenne, Invalides, Liège, Place de Clichy, Brochant and Garibaldi.
A Friday classified orange in Ile-de-France
Although telework is generalized and Friday is traditionally a day of low attendance, the strike movement coincides with a day of crossover in stations and on the roads of Île-de-France (classified orange). The pupils of zone C (Paris, Créteil, Versailles, Montpellier and Toulouse) take their holidays, when those of zone B are preparing to resume lessons on Monday. Travelers in transit, without the metro, as well as Ile-de-France residents who can only work “face-to-face”, will undoubtedly experience a day of “hassle”.
Here is our little guide to try, despite everything, to circulate this Friday in Greater Paris.
SNCF trains and RER. The strike only concerns the RATP, the SNCF lines should therefore run normally. Of course, they are already loaded. But if nothing else, they can at least bring you a little closer to your point of arrival. Transilien trains, first of all, serve the major Parisian stations: Montparnasse (Nat.), Gare du Nord (H, K), Gare de l’Est (P), Saint-Lazare (L, J) or Gare de Lyon (R). A possible entry point into the capital, which then allows you to fall back on a bike, a scooter or walking.
In addition, the RER lines, operated by the SNCF, cross Paris. Thus, the RER C serves the left bank from the Bibliothèque-François-Mitterrand to the Pont-de-Garigliano, passing through Saint-Michel, the Invalides or Champs-de-Mars-Tour-Eiffel in the direction of Versailles ( Yvelines). The RER D stops at Gare-de-Lyon and continues north towards Châtelet, Gare-du-Nord then Saint-Denis (Seine-Saint-Denis). Also consider the RER E for the north of Paris, from Saint-Lazare to Pantin (Seine-Saint-Denis), via Gare-du-Nord or the 19th arrondissement.
Some trams or buses will also be a little less affected than metros and can also get you a little closer. In any case, it is better to prepare your trip and plan to leave well in advance. In principle, the “Bonjour RATP” application integrates disruptions and offers routes according to the modes of transport available.
Taxis and VTC. If you are loaded, taxis and VTC will undoubtedly be the most practical solution. However, be careful with prices: if taxis have regulated prices, VTC platforms can cause the bill to skyrocket in the event of high demand. In any case, it is prudent to book your race as soon as possible.
Roissy Bus and Orly Bus. The two lines operated by RATP must normally serve Roissy – Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports. Count on a bus every 25 or 30 minutes. For the RoissyBus, the departure is at Opéra. For the Orly direction, the meeting point is at Denfert-Rochereau.
Carpooling. Île-de-France Mobilités announces that carpooling is offered to all Ile-de-France residents during strike days in partnership with three carpooling platforms: Karos, Klaxit and Blablacar Daily. Simply register via the IDF Mobilités app or the website.
Self-service cars. In Paris and in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, three electric car operators offer approximately 1,500 vehicles. Share Now, Zity and Free2Move rent cars with two or four seats, which can be parked for free. Count around 5 euros for a 30-minute journey. Beware of traffic jams at peak times and the time needed to find a parking space. To know: to register, you must first scan your driving license and wait for the validation of your profile.
Self-service scooters. Are you in a hurry and lightly loaded? The electric scooters are a useful mode of transport in this case to circulate in Paris. The thousands of machines from operators Cityscoot (also present in the inner suburbs), Yego and Cooltra are there for that. These scooters accept a passenger in the back, and provide helmets. Good to know: wearing gloves (not provided) is compulsory.
Bicycles and scooters. Parisians have the choice: Lime, Dott and Tier operate 5,000 electric scooters each. During the strike at the end of 2019, they had rendered many services. Lime (5,000 bikes) and Dott (3,000 two-wheelers), also operate electrically assisted bicycles. Price: around 25 euro cents per minute, excluding “packages”. Not to mention Vélib’, whose 19,000 bicycles (one third of which are electric) in Greater Paris will undoubtedly be in high demand.
The walk. And if we go there on foot? The weather is quite mild and the walk does not take not much more time than waiting in vain for a bus. Allow 30 minutes to go from Gare-du-Nord to Châtelet or 35 minutes from Montparnasse to Châtelet. Do not forget, all the same to equip yourself with good shoes.
But by the way, why are RATP agents on strike? The unions, who recall that the company made 200 million profits last year, denounce the weakness of the “proposal for a 0.4% wage increase” put forward for 2022. “Crumbs! ” protests the inter-union, indirectly contradicted by the management of the RATP. In an internal note addressed to the agents, the RATP puts these union assertions into perspective. According to her, the 0.4% mentioned would only concern “transversal measures”. If we add to this the increases linked to advancement and seniority as well as so-called “categorical” increases, the average salary increase proposed for 2022 climbs to 2.7%. The CGT, for its part, claims 3% annual revaluation over the next three years. A new negotiation meeting is scheduled for Friday morning.