Radars Against Carpool Cheaters

This is at least the idea of the city of Lyon, which intends to implement thermal radars to better monitor carpool lanes.

Since December 21, 2020, the city of Lyon has reserved the left lane of the former A6-A7 motorway for carpooling, only on weekdays.

To be considered a carpooler, one must transport at least two people in their vehicle or have an electric/hydrogen car with the Crit’Air green sticker or work as a taxi driver.

The carpool lane, available in both directions, operates from Sunday midnight to Friday midnight but does not run on weekends or in case of an accident.

However, due to the use of this lane by cars and drivers who are not eligible, the municipality has decided to deploy thermal radars in the second half of 2023 to check whether drivers comply with legislation (offenders risk a fine of 135 euros). “The State launched a call for projects to test these thermal radars in the second half of 2023. The Lyon Metropolis applied with the support of the prefecture and we have been selected” explains Jean-Charles Kohlass, vice-president of the Lyon Metropolis, to our colleagues at Lyon Capitale.

A fairly low error rate

Thanks to their thermal sensors, these radars could easily identify the number of passengers inside a car, with an error margin of less than 4%. They would also be capable of functioning on vehicles with tinted windows, but the issue of baby seats remains unresolved.

Another question is that the upcoming implementation of these new radars has not yet clarified whether the revenue generated from fines will go to the State or to local authorities.

Read also: Accelerating the Lyon-Bordeaux train