Voies réservées
Faced with the need to increase traffic fluidity whilst not having the means to increase capacity on the road, France has introduced the concept of the reserved lane.
Originally trialled back in 1999, on a stretch of A50 near Marseille, the concept has been resurrected to encourage people to use greener travel options; this includes making use of the vast number of carpooling areas located on the motorway network.
This follows schemes introduced in Spain and the UK, and based on the widespread use of high occupancy vehicle lanes across the USA and Canada.
Who can use these lanes?
Designed to encourage collective transport, reserved lanes - les voies réservées - reward users by providing a free-flowing lane during the otherwise congested peak periods.
As a result, only selected users
can use the reserved lanes:
- vehicles with a minimum of two occupants;
- zero emission vehicles that hold a green Crit'Air sticker, even
with just one person;
- taxis
and selected local bus services.
Their use is closely monitored: any misuse of the lanes will be captured by specialist roadside cameras that can detect the number of passengers in a vehicle. Anyone found illegally using the lanes will be fined €135.
When are they in use?
Usage varies between each scheme - signage on the ground will state when a reserved lane applies. Variable speed limits will also be in force.s
On two of the major schemes in France, the A480 Grenoble lane applies during the morning peak period, whilst the lanes on the M6 and M7 in Lyon apply at all times on Mondays to Fridays.
Signage
To make the reserved lanes easily recognisable, signage incorporates the diamond symbol used widely in North America.
Signage on the approaches will state which vehicles are permitted to use the lane concerned.
 |
 |
 |
|
Reserved lane ahead |
Reserved lane |
End of reserved lane |
On autoroutes, dynamic siganage is used instead. These are only illuminated when the reserved lane is in operation; at other times, the lane can be used by all vehicles.
Signage warning of a reserved lane
ahead, stating which vehicles can use the facility
Photo credits
Photographs on this page are © APRR/Effiage