Due to “traveller’s illness”, or a “suspicious package”, users must wait… And notify them of their delay, which is repeated day by day. But a new measure, announced by Valérie Pécresse, should change the situation.
Metro and RER users in Ile-de-France fear it every day and sometimes even know it by heart: “Traffic is interrupted due to passenger discomfort”. Result: metro and RER stations in Île-de-France are still disrupted, causing irritation among users in the face of the delays caused. But behind this name hides a reality much more complex than it seems. A “traveler’s illness” can in fact designate a multitude of situations, ranging from a simple vertigo or from temporary discomfort to more serious situations such as cardiac arrest. Although the majority of these incidents are mild discomforts, representing 98% of cases, their management can be complex.
Because until then, it was recommended to put the person in a side safety position until help arrived. This is the reason why the train could be slowed down for long minutes, sometimes blocking traffic on the entire line at the same time. However, this is not at all the protocol that is applied in other countries. “When there is traveler discomfort, you have to do like in London or Tokyo, you have to take the person out of the train,” Valérie Pécresse, President of Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), explained on BFM Business.
From now on, this is what will be implemented in the metro and RER stations, the Samu having validated this same protocol. Thus, sick travelers will be immediately evacuated from the trains so that help can be provided to them on the platform. A solution which is also more accessible for rescuers. Remember that last year, more than 700 trains were blocked due to “travellers’ discomfort”, impacting 3.4 million passengers.
And that’s not all, with regard to abandoned or suspicious packages, dog brigades “will be deployed to remove doubts” announced Valérie Pécresse, who estimates that the intervention should not take more than 10 to 15 minutes. A solution which should be faster and less disruptive than waiting for demining teams for each suspicious package identified.