Mocked by its (very) many daily users for its dirtiness, lack of timeliness and saturation, the Paris metro is often under fire, and sometimes rightly so. In any case, according to this study by the Bounce website, the capital’s transport network is one of the worst performers on the Old Continent. So why is Paris’s rail system so disparaged? We decipher.
Paris metro among the worst in Europe according to study
Getting around in major capitals can sometimes be a challenge, especially when you’re using public transport at rush hour. However, despite its daily drawbacks, it’s hard to find a more practical way of getting around the urban jungle than the metro. With this in mind, Bounce, a company specializing in transport and travel, has compiled a ranking of the best and worst metros in Europe.
To compile this ranking, the company carried out a study, sifting through a number of mobility-related criteria. The total number of stations, the length of the network in kilometers, the number of annual passengers and the quality of Google reviews all went through a fine-tooth comb to rank the transport systems of Europe’s capital cities.
And while the best metros in Europe are to be found in Oslo, Sofia and Athens, the same cannot be said of France’s capital, which ranks among the top 5 worst transport systems, according to the study. With its large number of stations and network coverage, Paris stands out positively from other cities, but its huge ridership (1.4 billion passengers a year) and, consequently, its overcrowding represent a major black mark in the rating. Another determining factor is the generally deplorable hygiene, both in the corridors and on the metro trains. Finally, the omnipresence of pickpockets was another factor that did not work in the City of Light’s favor.
All in all, it’s an unflattering analysis of Paris’s means of transport. However, other cities such as Budapest, Brussels and Rome fared even worse.