The “Olympic Radars” Are Coming to the Paris Peripheral Roads

These new radars will function to detect drivers using lanes reserved for officials and athletes.

During the Olympic Games, lanes on the ring road and other major routes will be reserved for transporting athletes and accredited personnel. To ensure that this new rule, considered harsh and unjust by some, is properly enforced, authorities will install new “smart” radars. On the ring road, five of these devices will be implemented. According to Le Parisien, they will be installed before the end of March. Naturally, they will only operate during the Olympic and Paralympic Games, which will take place from July 1st to September 15th, 2024.

Unlike the 18 radars already installed on the Paris ring road, these new installations will not flash for speeding violations. They will solely be used to detect—and penalize—drivers who use the Olympic lanes without authorization. Access to these lanes was supposed to be prohibited from 6 a.m. to midnight, but rules might eventually be somewhat more relaxed. Offenders will face a fine of €135.

Radars Also Capable of Counting Passengers

As stipulated by the decree of May 22nd, Olympic lanes will be implemented on “two-thirds along the northern part of the ring road between the Sèvres and Bercy gates.” There will also be sections on the A1, A13, A12, A4, N13, and N104. Bright panels will be installed near these zones to warn drivers. However, no physical separation will be created.

These new radars will be technically capable of counting the number of passengers in the vehicle. An important detail, because the City of Paris intends to transform the Olympic lanes on the ring road into dedicated carpooling lanes after the event. They will also be accessible to public transport, “non-polluting vehicles”, and emergency services.

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