Parisian Police To Release New Taxi Permits For The 2024 Olympic Games

The move comes as part of the plan to increase accessibility in preparation for the Olympic and Paralympic Games next year.

Flying taxis are getting a lot of attention as the long-awaited service prepares to launch in Paris around the time of the 2024 Olympic Games. However, a more significant addition to the city's public transportation system is coming to the ground.

The French National Assembly passed a measure in April permitting the Paris Préfecture de Police to award an additional one thousand taxi licenses for wheelchair-accessible cars in preparation for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The city of Paris is this way relaxing its notoriously stringent control on taxi licenses and granting extra permits for cars that may accommodate wheelchair users and individuals with impaired mobility.

The authorities have made a request on social media for applications for 652 of the specialized licenses, which are normally only accessible to those who have a cab driver's license granted by the police prefect. Taxi licenses in the capital city will now also be available to legal organizations that own qualified cars under this arrangement.

Having an authorized taxi license in Paris, or an Autorisation De Stationnement (ADS) de taxi Parisien, has always been extremely valuable. There used to be a strict rationing of taxi licenses, making it possible for retiring drivers to greatly increase their retirement savings by selling their permits to the highest bidder. However, as of October 2014, this activity is illegal. An ADS is now valid for five years and must be renewed each year.

Because of the city's history of tight regulation of taxi licenses, Paris cabs may be difficult to hail and its drivers have a reputation for being uncooperative. This exclusivity came to an end starting 2016 when Uber entered the market, and other French TVC businesses, including Heetch, soon followed.

The new licenses need a solemn promise from the driver to complete training in accordance with the requirements established by the Ministry of Transport. The ADS holder will also maintain a log that may be used to count the number of times they transported PMRs (people with mobility restrictions). The services will have access to this registry and be required to notify any changes. However, the recipient may seek an extension of the ADS's validity for an additional five years.

In a municipality that does not have a strong record on the problem of accessibility for wheelchair users and individuals with particular needs, the program is regarded as an additional effort to enhance accessibility for this category of people.

The Council of Europe issued a ruling against France in April 2023, finding that the country had breached the rights of individuals with disabilities in the areas of housing, transportation, and healthcare. The government received harsh criticism for not guaranteeing everyone had equal access to vital services like public transportation.

 

 

Source: thelocal.fr