Paris Police Prefect Laurent Nunez attends a press conference on securing the Olympic torch relay and the Paralympic torch relay for the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games, at the Interior Ministry in Paris, France, January 22, 2024. REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/ File photo
PARIS (Reuters) -Authorities have eased traffic restrictions during this year's Olympics following meetings with local elected representatives, the Paris police chief said on Friday.
"We want to disturb the lives of those living in Paris and in the area as little as possible so we've eased on the restrictions," Paris chief of police Laurent Nunez told a press conference.
"All the demands of the local elected representatives were granted at the exception of one in the 15th arrondissement of Paris."
Police had said last year that competition venues would only be accessible to ticket holders while a protection perimeter would be set up in the immediate proximity of the sites.
Some of the red zones, closed to motorised traffic because they are around Olympic sites, have disappeared.
More exemptions were granted to access the red zones, which will now also be accessible notably to healthcare providers' vehicles, cash-in-transit vehicles and removals trucks.
Buses will not be allowed in red zones.
People, with the exception of emergency services vehicles, will need to register on an online platform.
"If I see that the rules are not respected, I will close things up. Authorities have made a huge effort by accepting exemptions but it will require some collective discipline," Nunez warned.
(Reporting by Julien Pretot; Editing by Toby Davis)
