Carpooling Lanes: Everything You Need to Know

User guide for carpool lanes that come into effect this Monday on the peripheral and certain sections of the A1 and A13 motorways.

After the speed limit reduction to 50 km/h on the Paris ring road, another major step comes into effect this Monday: the establishment of a carpool lane on a large part of the ring road and on certain sections of the A1 and A13 motorways.

The aim is to reduce the number of cars on the road by increasing their occupancy rate. Currently, a large majority of users on the ring road drive alone in their cars.

Hours

From now on, during peak hours (from 7 AM to 10:30 AM and from 4 PM to 8 PM), the leftmost lane will be reserved for vehicles carrying at least two passengers, as well as for public transport, taxis, emergency vehicles, and people with reduced mobility. Motorcycles and scooters will be allowed to ride in between lanes in case of slow traffic.

Featured Routes

On the ring road, the activation of the lane will be indicated by white diamond-shaped signs. The A1 and A13 motorways are also affected: on the A1, 11.3 km will be reserved in the province-to-Paris direction from 6:30 AM to 10 AM and 3 km in the opposite direction from 5 PM to 6:30 PM. On the A13, the reservation will apply to 7 km towards Paris from 7 AM to 10 AM.

Controls and Sanctions

A pedagogical phase begins this Monday: radars equipped with artificial intelligence will detect offenders and display reminder messages. From May 1st, fines of 135 euros will be imposed after validation of the infractions by the municipal police.

This measure, planned without an end date, will be subject to interim assessments (in September, December, and March) based on indicators such as pollution, noise, and carpooling flows. An evaluation will also be conducted to determine whether to continue or halt the trial on the sections of the A1 and A13.

ALSO READ: We tested the Paris ring road at 50 km/h