Chain reaction: Bikes and pedestrians do battle in Covid-era Paris
Hindustan TimesParisian commuters in their thousands reacted to the Covid-19 epidemic by ditching public transport and walking or biking instead, but now they find themselves fighting each other for space on the crowded streets. Twice daily during rush hour, throngs of cyclists teem through central Paris, in many places using cycle lanes specially widened to encourage people to avoid cramming into the metro where they risk spreading the disease. “This morning on the pavement, a bicycle slalomed around me, because he could no longer pass on the road.” In September last year sensors in Paris detected an average of 55.8 cyclists per hour around the city; this September the figure is up to 97.2 per hour. Paris city authorities have sent out marshals to keep order in the cycle lanes, and they say they are imposing on-the-spot fines of up to 135 euros for cyclists who break the rules. David Belliard, deputy mayor of Paris, said he wanted to create a “pedestrians’ committee” to draw up proposals on how to better share city streets with cyclists.
History of this topic
Olympic Games 2024: How Paris made biking in the city accessible.
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