Olympic chiefs ‘reassured’ by Paris transport plans despite mayoral criticism

PARIS – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said on Nov 30 it was “reassured” by transport plans for the 2024 Paris Games, despite earlier claims that the system would not be ready in time.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo sparked anger from French ministers as well as political opponents a week earlier when she said, while the Games infrastructure will be ready, “there are two things for which we will not be ready”, namely transport and also the problem of homeless people.

With less than eight months before the event kicks off on July 26, the transport infrastructure in Paris is already under huge pressure, with complaints of poor frequency, overcrowding and uncleanliness.

But Christophe Dubi, the IOC’s Olympic Games executive director, told a press conference in Paris, where the organisation is holding an executive board meeting, that it was normal there was work to do this far out from hosting an Olympics.

“We’ve reviewed transport plans with our experts and all stakeholders,” he said. “It’s an extremely complex operation, including in the centre of Paris, where you have a lot of different sites with probably a million spectators per day.

“This is a huge opportunity to actually showcase how beautiful your city is, but at the same time, it is a huge challenge when it comes to transportation.”

Dubi added: “Based on the explanation of all the stakeholders, we are very much reassured.

“We still have seven or eight months before the Games. There’s still quite a bit of work that has to be done and that’s absolutely normal.”

Transport Minister Clement Beaune had accused Hidalgo of not being present at committee meetings aimed at discussing transport infrastructure.

“We will be ready,” added Valerie Pecresse, the head of the Ile-de-France region that includes Paris, while thanking transport staff for their efforts.

“It is an immense collective work which should not be tarnished by an absent mayor.”

Meanwhile, the IOC also said that organisers of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics should be prepared to host the sliding competitions abroad to avoid any new construction.

The sliding centre hosts the bobsleigh, luge and skeleton competitions during the Games and Italy’s initial plan to reconstruct a sliding centre where an old, defunct venue existed had hit obstacles.

Organisers in October said they would proceed with identifying a venue abroad before the Italian government decided to consider the option of using the now-defunct sliding centre in Cesana that would need extensive reconstruction, in order to keep the competitions in the country.

“A decision will be made by the government on Dec 5 with respect to Cesana,” Dubi said.” AFP, REUTERS