“A success that opens the way.” Minister for Transport Clément Beaune on Monday welcomed a successful Rugby World Cup for public transport with nearly two million passengers transported, a “very important step” in view of the Olympic Games. “Never in history has a Rugby World Cup been so organized with public transport,” he underlined during a press conference to take stock of the competition.
Around 1.9 million spectators traveled by train, as did 80% of the teams. “For the Stade de France, 90% of spectators came and left by public transport,” recalled the minister. Only two incidents were noted. The first on the RER B during the opening match on September 8 with a “serious technical incident” but resolved in time without consequence for the spectators, according to Clément Beaune. And the second in Bordeaux, on the Bordeaux Métropole transport network which led some supporters to arrive late for a match.
“It is a success and rugby opens the way for many other sports, starting with the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” added the minister. The challenge will however be “more important because we have made the commitment that 100% of access to the competition sites can be done by public transport”, indicated Clément Beaune.
For the Olympic Games (July 26-August 11, 2024) and Paralympic Games (August 28-September 8), nearly 15 million spectators and accredited people are expected to attend the events, the vast majority of which will take place in Paris and in Ile-de-France. “We still have several months ahead of us to improve things, I am thinking of traveler information, and we will also have feedback from this World Cup,” assured Clément Beaune.
The minister also insisted on the “legacy” left by the Games, particularly for accessibility in transport. “We still have a lot of progress to make but the Games will be a very important step”, with for example 1000 taxis for people with reduced mobility in Paris compared to less than 200 currently, underlined the minister.