Parisian taxis allowed access to capital’s iconic Rivoli as new COVID-19 easing measures start

Taxi drivers in Paris have been given access to the French capital’s iconic Rivoli as COVID-19 lockdown measures ease.

Paris has opted to close some busy roads for pedestrians, cyclists and authorised cars to help traffic flow and the public to carry on socially distancing.

In the UK, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also opted to close roads, but is also weighing up denying access to the capital’s 22,000 wheelchair accessible taxi fleet.

The Deputy Mayor of Paris, Christophe Najdovski, who oversees Transport and Public Space in the city shared a message and photos of the Rivoli’s new landscape, tweeting: “The entire rue de Rivoli is now dedicated to travel on foot, by bike, bus, taxi, and only authorized vehicles (deliveries, emergency vehicles, people with disabilities...).”

Taxi drivers have also been well utilised by the French government to help support healthcare workers during the coronavirus outbreak.

The President of the Republic, Emmanuel Macron, announced in March a series of measures to support healthcare workers. Among them, was the mobilisation of taxis for the staff of hospitals and public and private social medical establishments.

Given the low activity of taxi companies, taxi services were instead offerd as a standard hospital service.

London taxi drivers are expected to learn more about the full extent of the capital’s road closures next week.

Image credit: Christophe Najdovski (@C_Najdovski)