The “right price”, mentioned by the president of the regional council of Ile-de-France and Ile-de-France Mobilities (IDFM), Valérie Pécresse, regarding the increase in transport fares during the 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics (JOP), is not accepted by the Paris City Hall. Two of Anne Hidalgo’s deputies, Emmanuel Grégoire (urban planning) and Pierre Rabadan (sport), made it known to Ms. Pécresse: in a letter written on Tuesday 5th December, and transmitted to the Agence France-Presse (AFP), they asked her to reconsider this special JOP pricing.
They wrote, “This measure is an additional blow for Parisians and Ile-de-France residents, who will be affected during this period of inflation where every euro counts.” They added that this would penalize the recruitment of volunteers for the event.
Ms. Pécresse, for whom it is “out of the question for Ile-de-France residents to pay” the extra cost incurred by the Olympics, announced on November 27th an almost doubling of the unit price of metro tickets (4 euros, compared to the current 2.10 euros) and the pack of ten (32 euros, compared to 16.90 euros) during the JOP (from July 20th to September 8th). Through this increase, the official explanation is to encourage people coming to the Games to buy a 2024 Paris pass, which will be specially created and will allow them to travel throughout Ile-de-France: it will cost between 16 euros for a day and 70 euros for the week (almost the price of a monthly Navigo pass). Those who need to travel without being concerned by the Games must not forget to buy their tickets before July 20th.
“Tous ceux qui feront de ces Jeux un succès ne sont pas nécessairement détenteurs d’un passe Navigo et n’auront d’autre choix que de payer le prix fort”, protest the two deputy mayors at the City Hall, mentioning “precarious workers who will come to work”, as well as the volunteers, whose presence is “indispensable for the success of this event.” The recruitment of the latter will be “put in difficulty” by this special pricing, they assert.
As for the expected visitors, they will be “very predominantly French and especially from Ile-de-France”, according to the two deputies, relying on a study from the Paris Tourism Office, which states that the region’s residents will represent 43% of the expected 14 million French visitors.
Positioning themselves as defenders of “popular and open Games for all”, the two deputies request a meeting to discuss “maintaining the usual pricing” and “free public transport for Parisian volunteers”.
