Paris’s bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2024 is hailing one of its 17 sponsors, the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), for the launch of the first electric driverless buses to take to the streets of Paris.
The move helps underline Paris’ plan to host the “most sustainable Games ever.”
RATP worked in collaboration with Syndicat des transports d’Île-de-France (STIF) and the city of Paris and began tests on two 100 per cent electric driverless buses, which according to the bid committee represents a world first in terms of public transport. The buses, which will be available to fans, athletes and the Olympic family in 2024, were developed by the French start-up Easymile and will initially run along the banks of the River Seine.
Its part of a wider innovation policy by RATP and reflects Paris 2024’s vision to deliver the most sustainable Games ever by slashing carbon emissions to less than half of those in London 2012 and Rio 2016.
Paris 2024 will be the first Games aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement signed by 194 countries at the Paris Conference on Climate (COP 21). The bid committee promises that 100 per cent of spectators will travel by public transport during the Games, drastically reducing their total carbon footprint for the Games.
Tony Estanguet, Co-Chairman of Paris 2024 added, “by offering 100 per cent electric, driverless transport, we are helping keep emissions to a minimum and ensuring we fulfill our promise of delivering the most sustainable Games in history.”
“Our vision of a compact, sustainable, city-centre Olympic and Parlympic Games has innovative and efficient transport at its heart, and this new scheme from RATP is set to reinforce our ideas and vision”.
Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris said “Paris is a city committed to addressing climate change. This implies having attractive public transport for residents and visitors.”
“The Metro network of Paris is already ranked the best in the world by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (New York). But Paris must also contribute to inventing the transport of the future, and invests 38.1 million euros per year for this.
“The introduction of autonomous electric shuttles, which has just begun in Paris, shows what public transport will be in Paris in 2024: based on new technologies, even more efficient, fast, regular, accessible to all publics= and respectful of the environment.”
Paris is competing with Los Angeles and Budapest to host the 2024 Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) will select the host city September 13 in Lima, Peru.
