Black day at RATP: between cycling and teleworking, Ile-de-France residents adapt

Marion Gauthier, edited by Solène Leroux 4:01 p.m., February 18, 2022, modified at 4:03 p.m., February 18, 2022

Those who want to move around Île-de-France today must wear walking shoes, in any case comfortable shoes.

Eight metro lines are completely at a standstill.

Others only work partially.

RATP employees are on strike to demand wage increases.

Europe 1 was live from Montparnasse station.

How did the Ile-de-France residents organize themselves this morning?

Early risers were greeted by grilles or rubalises in front of most metro corridors.

Some, like that of 4 in Châtelet, reopened at 6:30 a.m. and were quickly filled. 

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The road has never been so long for Aimée, from her suburbs to her office.

"It's painful. There were too many people on line 13. I went to get a bus," she explains, after taking line 4 just before it closed.

"The service is interrupted so I backtracked to go back down to Châtelet. We will try everything."

Massed at bus stops

In Montparnasse, the end of the journey is on foot for Aimée.

The station is teeming with travelers late, on the phone, or queuing in front of the few green vests present to inform them.

All are redirected and massed at the bus stops.

Augustin escapes and takes a deep breath.

"It's finally there! It took me twice as long, but I succeeded, I'm happy," he explains, relieved.

He catches his breath a bit before going to work: "As we were a bit crowded and we were very hot, I'm taking advantage of the fresh air a bit before starting my work day."

Others preferred not to have to take public transport.

"It's a hassle for a lot of people, except for those who are on a bike," laughs Matthieu.

He is very happy to have avoided closed stations and endless traffic jams, even if he imagines that "people stayed at home to avoid the hassle".

Many of his colleagues, for example, preferred to telecommute today.

"We are two out of 25. So the day will be calm" before the return, confirms the cyclist.

For those who are not on two wheels, some very busy lines must, like this morning, reopen for three hours between 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.