A left lane dedicated to carpooling is what has recently appeared on several roads in France. On the A1, for example, it has existed since the beginning of September in the Lille direction, between the Dourges interchange and the Seclin interchange.
A brilliant diamond to observe up close
In the event of heavy traffic, the speed limit increases to 70 km/h and reserves the left lane for vehicles with at least two people on board, but also for electric vehicles, taxis and priority vehicles.
To find out, a luminous diamond appears on the signs that tells cars with only one person on board that they must leave the left lane.
“Modeling studies estimate the time saved by motorists who use the reserved lane at 7 minutes (of a 38-minute journey between the Dourges junction and the junction towards the A25 and the A22), says the press release announcing the opening of this exclusive lane. route.
Sending the first fines
Enough to tempt some people to take this specific route… without actually being allowed to do so. But be careful, the pedagogy is over. After a period of tolerance and a simple message inviting the thoughtless to back off, the first fines began to be sent to the owners of the offending vehicles. Enough to potentially improve compliance with this new infrastructure, with a fine of 135 euros (90 euros reduced fine) quite dissuasive:
“Last week, we received an average of fifty fines from users. Yesterday we had 36 and this morning, 17, which is starting to be encouraging,” explains Frédéric Dubus, CRS commander of the Nord-Pas de Calais motorway.
If for the moment the license plates are identified using conventional cameras, in mid-December an automatic radar will be installed to monitor this exclusive lane.
After Lille, Lyon and Strasbourg, Paris will also soon install a car-sharing lane on the ring road. The one reserved for the Olympic and Paralympic Games will thus become from September 14, 2024, at the same time as the limit is lowered to 50 km/h.
Source: BFM TV
