Road safety

Carpool lane on the Paris ring road: you can now be fined

Publié le 29 avril 2025 - Directorate for Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)

Since 3 March 2025, a lane reserved especially for vehicles with at least 2 people on board, public transport and taxis has been installed on the Paris ring road, on an experimental basis. A pedagogical control phase, without verbalization, had then been set up. From 2 May, you can be fined if you do not comply with the terms of the device. Service-Public.fr presents them to you (activation times, authorized vehicles, etc.).

Since 3 March 2025, the left lane of part of the Paris ring road has been dedicated to carpooling and public transport. At the moment, it is not in place between the quai d’Issy and the porte de Bercy, passing through the north of Paris (in both directions); later, this lane will be effective on the entire Paris ring road.

As of May 2, 2025, you will be liable to a flat-rate fine of €135 if you are in breach (that is, if you are alone in your vehicle on the carpool and transit lane while it is activated). The checks shall be carried out by computer-aided video-verbalization. A system with cameras allows:

  • identify vehicle categories (e.g. taxis or buses);
  • count passengers, front and rear;
  • read the front and rear license plates.

Then, a sworn officer observes and checks vehicles that may be in violation before sanctioning the actual violations.

Reminder

These checks with verbalization are carried out following a first phase of so-called ‘pedagogical’ checks, during which no fine was issued. If you were in violation, so alone in your vehicle, an artificial intelligence device would detect it, and a message would go up on the variable message signs to tell you that you had to change lanes.

The lane reserved for certain categories of vehicles is being set up on the Paris ring road on an experimental basis. A similar experiment is carried out on part of the A1 and A13 motorways, also since 3 March 2025. Interim first reviews will be completed for all of these pathways in September and December 2025, and then in March 2026.

What are the terms of the reserved lane?

The lane dedicated to carpooling and public transport is open monday to friday, from 7 am to 10:30 am and from 4 pm to 8 pm. During these periods, only this route can be taken:

  • vehicles with at least 2 persons on board;
  • public public transport (buses, coaches and school transport);
  • taxis;
  • ATVs carrying one or more customers;
  • emergency services and security force vehicles, including private ambulances;
  • the 2 motorized wheels, while they are practicing inter-queue traffic or when 2 persons are present on the vehicle;
  • persons holding the mobility card inclusion parking or the European parking card for disabled people (in both cases, it is necessary to register on the Handi'Stat platform in order to be recognized by the control system and not to risk being fined).

HGVs over 3.5 tons that carry cargo may not use the carpooling and public transport lane when activated.

The track is indicated by an activatable and deactivatable square panel within which is a white diamond. When the sign is lit, the lane is dedicated to carpooling and public transport. When off, all users can use the left lane of the Paris ring road.

Infographie - The sign indicating a lane dedicated to carpooling and public transport (the background can also be black, not blue)
Illustration - The sign indicating a lane dedicated to carpooling and public transport (the background can also be black, not blue)
Illustration

Ouvrir l’image dans une nouvelle fenêtre

You will also be notified when the lane is switched on or off by means of variable message signs.

The way is disabled on public holidays.

FYI  

In case of accidents or special events, the lane dedicated to carpooling and public transport can be deactivated at any time upon request of the police prefecture. It can also be off on low traffic days.

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