The works in the French capital to adapt it to the needs of the Olympic Games irritate some residents and disappoint tourists
As Paris prepares to host the Olympic Games a year from now, the proliferation of works in the French capital begins to irritate some residents and disappoint tourists. A necessary evil, argues the council, since the pace of the works will pick up again this summer.
“Many works have started at the same time, in all places, in all districts, which means that traffic is very, very difficult,” laments Boualem Akilal, a Parisian taxi driver.
“It takes 20 minutes to cover two kilometers, for example! And I think it’s only going to get worse,” says Jonathan, a local worker.
But if the workers suffer the works, those who are on vacation and have paid expensive tickets from the other part of the world are not happy either.
“When you are a tourist, you come here to see all the monuments, the famous places and the historical sites. That’s why it’s disappointing that they’re covered in advertising and you can’t see them in their entirety. And you come from the other side of the world to visit the city,” laments Kristen Farley, an Australian tourist.
“I think it’s getting ready to show more of Paris,” says Kimberley Rogers, also a tourist, this time Canadian.
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games will begin on July 26 of that year and end on August 11. The competitions will take place, according to the official page of the gamesalong the Seine, from the Olympic Village, 15 minutes from the city center, to emblematic places such as the Eiffel Tower.
