Given that we make a project on the air quality in the subway, it seems necessary to do an interview with a person who works in the RATP company, which is the metro company of Paris.

We interviewed Sophie Mazoué, in charge of the environmental issue concerning the subway in Paris.

 

 

Our team : What are the main factors responsible of the pollution ?

RATP : There are different factors like CO2 emissions, carbon monoxide… There are also small particles which come from everywhere including from people's clothes who come from outside the subway. To improve the air quality, the first preoccupation is the level of small particles and the RATP has to take action on that as a priority.

 

Our team : Do you consider air pollution in the subway as a public health issue ?

RATP : Yes of course and  RATP environment also has made surveys to study the air quality in other metropolis like Tokyo, London… Finally, Paris is not the city where we can find the highest level of small particles. For example, in London the amount of small particles is 10 times higher than the one in Paris.  The RATP in Paris is really transparent and publishes regularly the amount of small particles.

 

Our team : What is the RATP planning to improve the air quality ?

RATP : At the moment we are trying to improve the system of ventilation but it is quite hard to stock air and to filter it. RATP equips metro with electronic braking system which is a good solution to improve the air quality.

 

Our team : What do regulations exist to protect workers?

RATP : There are some regulations in the Labor Code and RATP respects that.

 

Our team: At the moment, we have information on the quantity of small particles only in three metro stations: Chatelet, Auber, Franklin-Roosevelt. Do you think that it would be a good idea to generalize that?

RATP : It would create anxiety and figures have to be used carefully because it is not 100% reliable. Moreover, people don’t know how to react most of the time.

 

Our team : Do you think that the awareness of users would be a lever to improve air quality more rapidly ?

RATP : We have been working on the improvement of air quality since the 1980s and we try everyday to be informed of new innovation in our business sector. Between 2004 and 2016 we have spent €96 millions to improve air quality. RATP communicates a lot with Marseille where the rate of small particles is very high. Nevertheless, we have to take care of which city we make a comparison. For example, the air quality in Paris is worse than Marseille but it is not comparable in the sense that in Marseille there is less traffic and travelers than in Paris. We also have to take into account that the metro in Paris is very old and that it is complicated to renovate stations and mainly it takes time to do that.

 

We are thanking the RATP for its collaboration !