Paris Metro to scrap famous paper tickets in public transport revamp

Famous white tickets have been used on the Métro and buses since the opening of the first train lines in 1900

Gabriel Samuels
Tuesday 24 May 2016 13:07 BST
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Valérie Pécresse refused to confirm whether average ticket prices will increase with the changes
Valérie Pécresse refused to confirm whether average ticket prices will increase with the changes

The classic Parisian Métro paper ticket is to be phased out as part of a €400 million overhaul of the French capital’s public transport network.

Valérie Pécresse, president of the regional council of Ile-de-France, confirmed that the famous old ticket will be eradicated by 2021 during an interview with Le Journal du Dimanche, describing its continued use as “a real waste of time and energy.”

The white rectangular ‘billets’ can also be used on buses and have been in circulation on the Paris transit system since the opening of the first train line 116 years ago.

They will be gradually replaced by monthly Navigo passes which will allow commuters to use their mobile phones to scan through the ticket barriers.

The Navigo payment system has been used alongside paper tickets on the Paris Métro since 2001 and will soon be the only way to pay for travel.

The minister refused to confirm whether average ticket prices will increase with the changes.

The Métro tickets have only had their white appearance since 2007, before which they came in a range of colours including red, yellow and green.

Pécresse also outlined plans for blanket use of contactless bank cards to pay for public transport and even an “intelligent deferred payment system” to give commuters the best possible deal for their ride.

She said: “This will be real progress because the current system is so costly: each year [in Paris], five million tickets are demagnetized in wallets or handbags.”

“With new mapping technologies we will be able to know in real time where the bus, subway or tram is and how long it will take to get to its destination.”

A new high-tech data platform will be launched covering the entire network, allowing operators and customers to track buses and subway trains in a “real-time and predictive way.”

Meanwhile free WiFi services will be installed in 150 Paris Métro stations by the end of the year and the overall cost of the overhaul will come to around €400 million over six years.

The Independent has contacted STIF and the office of Valérie Pécresse for further comment.

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