If the French media can't scrutinise Paris 2012...

[DarJoLe]

And as the Paris IOC whitewash continues, looks like it's down to the British media to notice these things.

From London's Evening Standard:

Blow for Paris bid

By Peter Allen In Paris And Sam Lyon, Evening Standard

9 June 2005

The Paris 2012 Olympic bid suffered a blow today with a damning report on the city's transport network.

French government transport chiefs warn in the report of crumbling roads, obsolete security systems and serious health risks from poor air quality in road tunnels.

It comes less than four weeks before the host city for the Games is chosen. Many commentators believe London and Paris are now neck and neck.

In a major boost to the London bid, Princess Anne today promised to lobby her fellow IOC members. The Princess Royal, who is also president of the British Olympic Association, has not before taken so active a role in lobbying.

The French heard this week that the International Olympic Committee found Paris's roads "would comfortably cope" with Games traffic. But now a Direction Dertementale de l'Eipement (DDE) report says:

1. The major tunnels linking roads, rail and metro lines are fire risks.

2. Air quality in the tunnels poses a major health risk.

3. Roads can barely cope with existing traffic.

Surveillance cameras and traffic control centres are obsolete, with outdated computers frequently crashing and causing chaos. Laurent Baudet, regional head of the DDE, said: "Control systems including video surveillance have to be radically improved so as to improve safety."

The IOC report said Paris has a "well-maintained" road system and, while it praised London's bid, was widely seen as putting France to the fore.

Paris bid chiefs claim that the usual August cut in traffic would mean less congestion during the Games.

But Parisians say air pollution is at its worst in the summer, with many commuters who use the main La Defense tunnel complaining of illness.

The French report is a boost for London, which has overcome earlier criticisms about its own transport network. The committee has now said London is "capable of coping".

[Robert Henson]

As far as I'm aware the French aren't relying too heavily on their roads for the 2012 bid. But it still doesn't sound good and is yet more evidence that Paris is far from perfect.

[Michelle]

As far as I'm aware the French aren't relying too heavily on their roads for the 2012 bid. But it still doesn't sound good and is yet more evidence that Paris is far from perfect.

Paris still has a better transport infrastructure than London, at the moment. This report will shock the Government in France, who tax like mad so that France has 'Europes best transport structure'.

London has time to catch up, and after years of chronic underfunding.

[Daffyd Pollard]

As far as I'm aware the French aren't relying too heavily on their roads for the 2012 bid. But it still doesn't sound good and is yet more evidence that Paris is far from perfect.

Paris still has a better transport infrastructure than London, at the moment. This report will shock the Government in France, who tax like mad so that France has 'Europes best transport structure'.

London has time to catch up, and after years of chronic underfunding.

Yes but no one is purporting the London bid or its transport infrastructure to be perfect. Unlike Paris which has been described as exemplary by every man and their dog. We know that there are chinks in London's armour, and now it appears that Paris might have one or two as well.  

[Borine]

French tunnels are old but i think it is the same in all the countries,in particular in the UK.Since the "Tunnel du Mont Blanc" tragedy the Direction Departementale de l'Equipement is very careful about the security in tunnels more than in every country in Europe...Indeed our security conditions required  are higher than in other country,I imagine that road tunnels in London would be classified as "dangerous" by the DDE

[LuigiVercotti]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

[Erick]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

     

[baron-pierreIV]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

Well, except she was riding in a Mercedes.  And she -- God rest her gentle soul -- was a princess by marriage; not by birth.

[arwebb]

Of course Paris has weaknesses. It's a shame that the IOC seem to ignore them.

[Daffyd Pollard]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

You've really got to despise Australian humour don't you?

[parisphoto]

1) French press not ignoring it. Do a Google search.

2) Not a big deal. French standards are high, and even substandard installations are certainly safe. When I see London transport infrastructure, in particular all those fires in the Underground, I certainly have to wonder about UK standards...

[Robert Henson]

I don't know why the UK has suddendly entered this discussion. I thought it was about Paris.

[English Kev]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

You've really got to despise Australian humour don't you?

Ignore it . When you've only got Kylie Minogue , ugly men that dress up as even uglier women ( Edna dahlin ) & phone-throwing Kiwis to put on a pedastal what else can you expect ?

[Ripley]

1) French press not ignoring it. Do a Google search.

2) Not a big deal. French standards are high, and even substandard installations are certainly safe. When I see London transport infrastructure, in particular all those fires in the Underground, I certainly have to wonder about UK standards...

How many fires are you talking about?...I can only think of one.

Look lets get real here...London's infratsructure is not great, but there is a lot of money being pumped into it to make it better. France does not have a blemishless record when it comes to public transport....whereas trains in London might break down from time to time....in Paris the drivers regulalry walk out on strike....either way the transport systems are brought to a standstill. So I wouldn't start preaching on any account.

[LuigiVercotti]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

You've really got to despise Australian humour don't you?

Ignore it . When you've only got Kylie Minogue , ugly men that dress up as even uglier women ( Edna dahlin ) & phone-throwing Kiwis to put on a pedastal what else can you expect ?

Oh dear...how can I pass up a comment about Dame Edna when there has been oh so many wonderful British drag artists such as Danny La Rue, Dick Emery, and even good old cross dressing Eddie Izzard willing to don a frock and cheer up you miserable poms. And doesn't that funny-as-leukemia show 'Little Britain' feature guys getting into dresses?

But of course when your Olympic bid has been partly saved by the input of Australian advisors brought in by the London team then I guess you can take the same highground as that adopted by you guys re Saint Di of the Rugby Fields   .

[English Kev]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

You've really got to despise Australian humour don't you?

Ignore it . When you've only got Kylie Minogue , ugly men that dress up as even uglier women ( Edna dahlin ) & phone-throwing Kiwis to put on a pedastal what else can you expect ?

Oh dear...how can I pass up a comment about Dame Edna when there has been oh so many wonderful British drag artists such as Danny La Rue, Dick Emery, and even good old cross dressing Eddie Izzard willing to don a frock and cheer up you miserable poms. And doesn't that funny-as-leukemia show 'Little Britain' feature guys getting into dresses?

But of course when your Olympic bid has been partly saved by the input of Australian advisors brought in by the London team then I guess you can take the same highground as that adopted by you guys re Saint Di of the Rugby Fields   .

I find colonial insolence rather tiresome . Know your place .

[Mekky]

And, the health system of France is the best of the world, even english come in France to be operated and so on... Who cares of those english media that try to attack Paris bid... It would be better for them to look how if the railway system of UK and that british will need to pay a tax to be allow to drive... incredible !

[Surferdude]

And lets not forget with the high proportion of royalty on the IOC, any princesses or the such like going into a Paris tunnel have every right to be scared  

You've really got to despise Australian humour don't you?

Ignore it . When you've only got Kylie Minogue , ugly men that dress up as even uglier women ( Edna dahlin ) & phone-throwing Kiwis to put on a pedastal what else can you expect ?

Oh dear...how can I pass up a comment about Dame Edna when there has been oh so many wonderful British drag artists such as Danny La Rue, Dick Emery, and even good old cross dressing Eddie Izzard willing to don a frock and cheer up you miserable poms. And doesn't that funny-as-leukemia show 'Little Britain' feature guys getting into dresses?

But of course when your Olympic bid has been partly saved by the input of Australian advisors brought in by the London team then I guess you can take the same highground as that adopted by you guys re Saint Di of the Rugby Fields   .

I find colonial insolence rather tiresome . Know your place .

I think 200 odd years of independence might put 2 (or the more contemporary one) finger(s) up to that last comment.

I'm still waiting for someone to crow about beating Bangladesh at village cricket. But then some French national probably thinks they invented that too.

[Surferdude]

And, the health system of France is the best of the world, even english come in France to be operated and so on... Who cares of those english media that try to attack Paris bid... It would be better for them to look how if the railway system of UK and that british will need to pay a tax to be allow to drive... incredible !

Which self-appointed professional says that the French health care system is the best in the world. As I recall, it is one of the least efficient in the world, with too many doctors chasing too few patients, and where there is significant unemployment in health care professionals and where insurance premiums are very high.

And Mekky please explain since when was the French vehicle licence system abolished, beacuse last week I saw most cars on the roads had paid for this. The other thing I noticed was that I was charged nearly 70 pounds just to use the motorway for just one journey. I wonder if you even realise that you are being taxed to drive and a pretty regressive way at that.

[Aly]

We're on to the French healthcare system?  Brilliant!!!

It reminded me of this story which was reported last month and which goes to show that no system is perfect.

French surgeons begin UK 'exile'  

French surgeons argue that they deserve better

Hundreds of French surgeons have begun a symbolic "exile" in Britain to demand the right to charge higher fees.  

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4533111.stm

[arwebb]

1) French press not ignoring it. Do a Google search.

2) Not a big deal. French standards are high, and even substandard installations are certainly safe. When I see London transport infrastructure, in particular all those fires in the Underground, I certainly have to wonder about UK standards***

One 17 years ago. Oh yes, we have such a problem, don't we? Misinformation is a terrible thing.

[Mekky]

And, the health system of France is the best of the world, even english come in France to be operated and so on... Who cares of those english media that try to attack Paris bid... It would be better for them to look how if the railway system of UK and that british will need to pay a tax to be allow to drive... incredible !

Which self-appointed professional says that the French health care system is the best in the world. As I recall, it is one of the least efficient in the world, with too many doctors chasing too few patients, and where there is significant unemployment in health care professionals and where insurance premiums are very high.

And Mekky please explain since when was the French vehicle licence system abolished, beacuse last week I saw most cars on the roads had paid for this. The other thing I noticed was that I was charged nearly 70 pounds just to use the motorway for just one journey. I wonder if you even realise that you are being taxed to drive and a pretty regressive way at that.

World Health Organization, part of the United Nations, said it.

http://www.who.int/inf-pr-2000/en/pr2000-44.html

Also don't make comment on the date of this report, year 2000, because this then, France stayed the best of the world.  

You need to pay to be on our beautiful french motorways because it's companies that manage them (Add: Sanef is now in stock exchange of Paris), so it's not a tax from the gouvernment like what it will happen in UK !

"And Mekky please explain since when was the French vehicle licence system abolished, beacuse last week I saw most cars on the roads had paid for this."

?? sorry, i don't really know what you want to say here...

Aly> all people always want more money, and so do strikes, when they see a fragile gouvernment like raffarin's one, they take their chance. Surgeons are well paid in France. Also, finally they didn't go to England.

[Aly]

Sorry Mekky, 300 surgeons did come to England as a part of their strike and this reports is about their stay and return

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/souther...ies/4542365.stm

Also, one doctor, queuing for his ticket at the Gare du Nord station in Paris, said the medics had chosen Britain because it was "a friendly country with a health system radically different from ours, a system where the doctor is at the centre of the picture and the patient is taken in charge by the doctor, including managing costs".

Can we get back to talking about the Olympics now?

[Mekky]

Well, i think we have an health system that profit to people in France, and to doctors in UK. Now, it's easy to know where the quality is. Very ridiculous those surgeons, also, they only do what normans did    

Yes to come back on the subject of this topic, It is always when we feel the defeat that media from another country try to destabilize the other one. :devil: Look, english media felt the great match against France in Euro 2004... ahahah

[Aly]

So you know you're getting to the Endgame when an innocuous spoiler report by one of your rival's newspaper's  provokes an official retraction by the "offended" bid team.  Now that the Evening Standard knows that its so easy to cause offence to the French, the next 4 weeks headlines for this paper are sorted!!

Paris 2012 Calls Newspaper Report “Biased”

Posted 2:29 pm ET (GamesBids.com)

A spokesman for the Paris 2012 bid team told GamesBids.com that a report in the Evening Standard that was quoted on GamesBids.com Thursday is biased.

The newspaper said that a French government report showed “the major tunnels (in Paris) linking roads, rail and metro lines are fire risks”, and “air quality in the tunnels poses a major health risk”.

The Paris 2012 spokesman refuted the report and said, “the report is very biased to indicate all tunnels (in Paris) are having problems”.