Law to revamp public transport behaviour and penalties adopted in France

The French parliament has adopted a law that aims to improve safety on the national transport system, particularly on services run by SNCF and RATP - although some of the measures have been criticised.

The text was adopted by MPs in the Assemblée Nationale last month (March 18) by 303 in favour and 135 against, after having been approved by the Senate the day before. Much of the coalition government, the far-right (RN-Ciottistes) and the independent alliance Liot were in favour.

What are the main measures included in the safety law?

People using transport services in France may now notice more:

• Body searches

The bill extends the authority of the transport security forces (la Sûreté ferroviaire for SNCF, and GPSR for RATP). They will now be able to carry out body searches without needing prior permission from prefects. They will be able to carry out searches in stations, and seize objects considered to be potentially dangerous.

• Body cameras

Inspectors and authorities will now be able to wear body cameras, in a bid to see if it helps to reduce abuse towards staff and/or help investigate problem situations. 

It comes after these devices have already been trialled by inspectors (the latest trial ended on October 1). The law also allows for a similar experiment for bus and coach drivers.

• Forgotten luggage fines

The text has also introduced a new sliding scale of fines for forgotten luggage (from €72 to €1,500 depending on the level of offence). People who are repeatedly found to be ‘disruptive’ when it comes to luggage may also be banned from travel.

Read also: Forgetting luggage on French transport can land you a hefty fine 

Police have to investigate each piece of abandoned luggage, whether it has been left intentionally or not, meaning that even one accidentally-left bag can cause serious delays.

SNCF figures show that there are 360 items left behind in stations and trains every week, and in 2022, abandoned luggage caused the delay or cancellation of 35,500 trains, affecting 12 million passengers.

• Video surveillance

The text also allows for the use of an algorithmic video surveillance system (vidéosurveillance algorithmique, VSA) at major gatherings and in crowds, with permission extended until March 2027. This system was tested during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

VSA systems use an algorithm to analyse video surveillance images, in a bid to identify suspicious behaviour.

Proponents and critics

Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot has said he wants to “see this text implemented quickly”.

However, the bill is not without controversy. 

Some critics say the video surveillance measure in particular is likely to be censured by the Conseil constitutionnel on the basis that it risks the invasion of people’s privacy and liberty, and could breach data protection.

MoDem group MP Philippe Latombe told the AFP: “This experiment is much broader than the transport issues that concern us today.”

The new authority to conduct body searches and wear body cameras was seen as controversial.

“The boundaries between the powers of security agents and those of the police are becoming dangerously blurred,” said Communist MP Stéphane Peu. Socialist Roger Vicot also said that the text appears to have “a kind of appetite for repression”.

“Brick by brick, you are building a France that is watched, punished, controlled and locked down,” said MP Élisa Martin.

Similarly, the digital rights and freedoms association La Quadrature du Net called the measures “brutal methods [that reveal] the authoritarian dynamic at work”, and called for more time to understand the implications of such surveillance.

Yet, Les Républicains MP Ian Boucard defended the measures. 

He said: “It is time to give security officers rights, because it is not possible to ask them to ensure the safety of public transport users without giving them the necessary means.”