All you need to know about carpool lanes in Paris activated this Monday, March 3, 2025!

Announced as part of the Legacy of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games project, car-sharing lanes on the Paris ring road, as well as on the A1 and A13 freeways, will come into service from March 3, 2025. This initiative aims to encourage shared mobility and reduce traffic congestion on the outskirts of the capital. We tell you all about it.

From Monday March 3, 2025, a lane reserved for carpooling, public transport , cabs and VTCs will appear on the Paris ring road, as well as on certain sections of theA1 and A13 motorways. On trial for three years, this measure is designed to improve traffic flow and encourage shared modes of transport.

Where are the carpool lanes located and when will they be active?

From 7am on March 3, the left-hand lane of the Paris ring road will be reserved for car-sharing vehicles between Porte de Sèvres (15ᵉ arr.) and Bercy (12ᵉ arr.), via the north of Paris, in both directions of traffic over a 26km stretch. It will be activated at peak times, from 7am to 10:30am in the morning and from 4pm to 8pm in the evening.

On the A1 and A13 freeways, regulations will be similar. On theA1, the lane will be active from 6.30am to 10am (Roissy → Saint-Denis) and from 5pm to 6.30pm (Saint-Denis → A86). On theA13, it will operate only in the morning, from 7am to 10am, between Roquencourt and the Saint-Cloud tunnel.

Who has the right to use carpool lanes?

Authorized vehicles include those carrying at least two people (including babies), cabs, public transport, holders of the Carte mobilité inclusion stationnement, and emergency and security vehicles. This measure is part of a drive to improve traffic flow and encourage more sustainable practices.

Cars with at least two passengers
Cabs and VTC
Public transport
Priority vehicles (police, fire department, ambulance)

Vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes (excluding buses) will not be allowed on these roads.

How do I know if the channel is activated?

Activation of the lanes will be indicated by a luminous white diamond on the signs above the roadway. These regulations may be adjusted in real time according to traffic conditions and any incidents that may occur.

What are the controls and fines in the event of non-compliance?

Specific radars, already installed on the A1 and A13, will monitor compliance with the new rules. Two types of device will be used: the Hovy system on the Paris ring road and the Pryntec model, already in service in several major French conurbations such as Lyon and Strasbourg. These radars, which will be operational as soon as the lanes are installed, will initially be used for educational purposes, without any fines, for a period of three months, according to Paris City Hall. The first €135 fines will be issued from May 1, 2025.

This experiment is based on feedback from cities such as Lyon, where similar lanes are already in place. According to local authorities, their impact on user behavior is significant. In Lyon, car-sharing radars have reduced the fraud rate from 70% to around 30% in just a few months, although a significant proportion of offences remain difficult to detect.

Why carpool lanes?

The creation of a carpool lane on the Paris ring road is part of a long-term strategy. The project is in line with the objectives of the City of Paris' 2026-2030 Climate Plan. The aim is to reduce the capital's carbon footprint while improving the quality of life of its residents.

In a statement published on its official website, Paris City Hall has reaffirmed its commitment to this transformation. While the idea initially emerged as part of preparations for the 2024 Olympic Games, its deployment will extend far beyond this global event.

The introduction of a reserved lane on the Paris ring road has several aims:

Improve air quality: By encouraging car-sharing, the aim is to reduce the number of vehicles on the road, thereby limiting emissions of atmospheric pollutants.
Reduce noise pollution: Fewer cars on the road also means less noise for the 500,000 residents living near the ring road.
Smoother traffic flow: By encouraging car-sharing, this initiative aims to alleviate the persistent congestion on this strategic axis.
Reduce energy consumption: Fewer vehicles also means lower fuel consumption.

This Paris initiative marks a further step in the transformation of mobility in the Île-de-France region. It remains to be seen whether these reserved lanes will be able to meet the challenges of dense traffic and sustainably encourage car-sharing, a practice still under-used in France.