Fines, banned vehicles: Rules for new Olympic lanes on French roads
The special lanes open today and their use will be strictly enforced by police
Only authorised vehicles will be permitted to use the Paris Olympics and Paralympics lanes
Henry St John / Shutterstock
New traffic rules are now in force on key roads in Ile-de-France, ahead of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics, with fines of €135 issued to drivers who do not comply.
The roads are called ‘VROP’: voies réservées olympiques et paralympiques (lanes reserved for the Olympics and Paralympics), and there are 185 km in total. They are marked with the ‘Paris 2024’ logo, both on the roads themselves and on road signs.
Only one lane per road is a ‘VROP’. Other lanes on these roads remain open for vehicles as normal.
The establishment of these lanes was one of the commitments made by organisers when bidding for the Games to take place in Paris. The goal is that athletes will be able to reach all competition venues within 30 minutes’ drive of the Olympic Village in Saint-Denis.
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In total, more than 10,500 athletes are expected to attend the Games, along with their teams.
The Olympics begin with the Opening Ceremony on July 26, and are set to last until August 11. The Paralympics begin on August 28, and will end on September 8.
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Which vehicles can use the lanes?
Only vehicles with prior authorisation will be permitted to use these lanes. These include:
Vehicles accredited to transport athletes, accredited journalists, and official delegations
Emergency and security vehicles
Official taxis (except ride-sharing vehicles such as Ubers)
Public transport vehicles used to transport people with reduced mobility.
The Organising Committee has said that 22,000 authorisations have been issued.
Which vehicles cannot use the lanes?
Any type of vehicle that does not have prior authorisation. These include:
Which roads are affected?
The Paris Police Prefecture has confirmed that the affected roads include:
Paris ring road (périphérique), from Porte de Vanves to Porte de Bercy, via the north, from July 15 to August 13, then from August 22 to September 11.
Place de la Porte Maillot, Place de la Concorde, Boulevard de Bercy, and Rue de Rivoli will be affected for the same dates.
Boulevard at La Défense, from July 15 to August 13, then August 22 to September 11.
A1, between Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle and Porte de la Chapelle, from July 15 to September 11.
A4, between Collégien and Porte de Bercy, from July 15 to August 13, then from August 30 to September 8.
A12, between Rocquencourt and Montigny-le-Bretonneux, July 15 to August 13, then August 27 to September 8.
A13, between Saint-Cloud and Rocquencourt, July 15 to August 13, then August 27 to September 8.
RN13, between Porte Maillot and La Défense, from July 15 to August 13, and again from August 27 to September 8.
A104, between Collégien and Saint-Thibault-des-Vignes, from July 15 to August 13, and again from August 27 to September 8.
A86, partial lane, from July 15 to August 13, and again from August 27 to September 8.
Full details of all the roads affected, including the dates and the specific section of road, can be found on the Journal Officiel website here.
How will the lanes be enforced?
Police will be checking the roads and vehicles along each of the routes, with teams organised by the CRS Autoroutes and the Préfecture de Police. Some roads will have surveillance cameras.
Unauthorised vehicles using one of these reserved lanes will be liable to a fine of €135, and possibly further legal action.
“The use of an Olympic lane by a non-accredited vehicle can cause major disruption to the running of the events and to the smooth running of the Games as a whole,” said the Paris Police Prefecture.
Will the lanes go back to normal afterwards?
Most of the lanes will go back to normal after the Games, but some will be retained as ‘legacy routes (héritages)’, and will be reserved for public transport vehicles and car-sharing (carpooling) vehicles by 2025.
This will include lanes on:
A1 (Province-Paris direction) between Gonesse (A3 slip road) and Saint-Denis (existing bus lane)
Between the end of the Landy tunnel and La Courneuve
The A13 between the A12 and the Saint-Cloud tunnel
