French cafes, bars and restaurants are allowed to open today in Paris and already there is ‘La Grande Bataille’ over claiming outdoor space « Euro Weekly News

French cafes, bars and restaurants are allowed to open today in Paris and already there is ‘La Grande Bataille’ over claiming outdoor space

#paris #france #coronavirus

"We shall fight them for the parking spaces"- Pariseans angry after parking spaces used for diners

PARIS is gearing up for a battle for public space today after the city’s mayor, Anne Hidalgo, said cafes, bars, and restaurants would temporarily be allowed to set up tables on pavements and in parking spaces when they open.

Coronavirus lockdown measures are being eased even further on Tuesday, with food and drink establishments opening across most of France for the first time since March 14. Paris, however, remains ‘orange’ on the country’s Covid-19 map, meaning the virus is still circulating, and bar, cafe, and restaurant owners have been told they can only serve customers outside on terraces and with strict physical distancing and protection measures in place.

French police have already been called out to calm angry pedestrians who have been stopped from parking as dining tables appeared in their spaces. Like most capital cities across the world, car parking spaces are extremely limited and hard to find and Paris is no different.

#paris #france #coronavirus
The major of Paris, Ana María Hidalgo, has said the measures were brought in to help the hospitality sector recover from the crisis that has decimated the industry.

“We have adopted a plan to help bars and restaurants for at least six months from March until the end of September.

“One of these measures is the free occupation of a part of space in Paris. It could be pavements where possible or parking places. We could also close certain roads to traffic for some weekends to allow bars and restaurants to have more space,” said Hidalgo.

Other requirements

The establishments will also be required to register their request to use the public space online and sign up for a 10-point ‘charter’ of good behaviour.

Along with physical distancing and protection measures, bars, cafes, and restaurants must close at 11pm, limit noise nuisance, and avoid blocking pavements to pushchairs and people with reduced mobility. They are not allowed to install electrical equipment or use plastic cups, and they must ensure the terraces are kept clean, particularly of cigarette ends.

Author badge placeholder
Written by

Tony Winterburn

Share your story with us by emailing newsdesk@euroweeklynews.com, by calling +34 951 38 61 61 or by messaging our Facebook page www.facebook.com/EuroWeeklyNews

Comments