Faced with the terrorist threat, the government is strengthening its system. Traveling to the Gare du Nord in Paris this Wednesday morning, the Minister for Transport announced a series of measures “as part of strengthening security in public transport”. A decision taken a few days after the murder of a teacher in a high school in Arras by a radicalized individual, and while the Vigipirate plan was taken to the highest level.
In the Paris station, the member of the government notably indicated that the SNCF security staff would be reinforced by a little less than 20%, going from 2,800 to 3,300 people. A change which will be operational by summer 2024. Other transport operators, such as RATP or airports, are also affected, he added. Likewise, the “dog brigades” responsible for detecting risks or defending will be reinforced by 50% at SNCF over the period. The executive also wants to mobilize more patrols of agents, and increase the number of alert messages, to make them “more visible and more frequent in stations and airports”.
While bomb threats have increased in number in recent weeks, the government also wants to act more quickly and systematically in the event of abandoned luggage. A way, also, to limit the difficulties caused by false alarms, which destabilize infrastructures. Finally, agents must be trained in “security risks”.
All of these measures aim to reassure passengers, on the one hand, and to deter offenders, on the other hand, argued Clément Beaune. Announcements which come the day after a meeting with transport operators, including the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGAC), SNCF, Paris Airports (ADP) or Île-de-France Mobility (IDFM). In addition, several French airports, including Lille, Lyon, Toulouse and Beauvais, were evacuated this Wednesday morning, due to “attack threats” received by email. A few days earlier, other infrastructures, such as the Palace of Versailles or the Louvre Museum, had also been affected by bomb threats, leading to their evacuation.
