What would be the Parisian metro without its mythical turnstiles? Well, we may soon find out since Jean Castex, now the new boss of the RATP, wants to remove these elements, which he says slow down passengers. According to Le Monde, he"can't stand to see tourists jamming their suitcases or parents struggling with their strollers". History remembers these turnstiles, however, thanks to the astonishing photograph of Jacques Chirac, then mayor of Paris, jumping over them.
However, removing all these devices has a cost: nearly 60 million euros. Although many metro and RER stations have already been equipped with new, more fluid automatic doors to let thousands of travelers through, there are still a large number of turnstiles in the capital! Moreover, this decision does not depend only on Jean Castex, since it is Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), and therefore Valérie Pécresse, who decides on the priorities concerning the financing .
And given the lack of means that IDFM deplores, faced with the operation of additional metro lines and the expenses of the Olympic Games, removing the turnstiles is not high on the list. But Jean Castex has already planned to remove them in several stations, including Trocadero, Porte de Saint-Cloud and La Défense, by 2024.
