Bus drivers held a strike picket at the RATP bus depot in Les Lilas, on the north-eastern edge of Paris, on Thursday 29 October, and buses stopped running on several lines in the north-east and south-east of the city. The FO RATP union says some of its members were “violently struck” by police during the morning picket, France 3 Paris ÃŽle-de-France reports.
What happened
According to France 3 Paris ÃŽle-de-France, the machinistes (the RATP’s term for its bus drivers) set up a piquet de grève, a strike picket outside a workplace, at the Les Lilas depot on Thursday morning. The RATP (Régie autonome des transports parisiens) is the public operator that runs most of the metro, bus and tram network in Paris.
The union FO RATP, the RATP branch of the Force Ouvrière trade union confederation, says officers from the forces de l’ordre (the general French term for police and gendarmerie) struck workers when they intervened at the picket. The drivers spoke out against what they described as violence during the police intervention. France 3 illustrated its report with an image the union had posted on social media. The source does not say whether the police or the authorities have responded to the allegations.
France 3 says the drivers are protesting because they fear their working conditions will get worse. Their depot is due to move to a private operator in a few days. The article does not name the incoming operator or give the exact transfer date.
The report by Toky Nirhy-Lanto went online at 12:10 on 29 October and was updated at 20:31 the same day. The article’s web address and an earlier version of its headline refer to eight interrupted bus lines and quote the phrase “c’est une insulte aux agents” (“it is an insult to the staff”). The current text says only that buses were not running on several lines and does not list them.
What it means for you
If you live or work in north-eastern or south-eastern Paris and take the bus, Thursday’s walkout may have hit your route. The lines involved are presumably those run from the Les Lilas depot, which serves the north-east of the city and its inner suburbs. France 3 does not name them, so check the lines you use rather than assuming yours ran normally.
Before you travel in the coming days, it makes sense to:
- Check real-time traffic information for your line on the RATP app or website, or with Île-de-France Mobilités, the regional transport authority, before you leave.
- Plan another route, such as a metro, tram or RER line, if your usual bus starts from the Les Lilas area or runs through the north-east or south-east of the city.
- Allow extra time for school runs, appointments and connections, since the source does not say whether the action continues beyond Thursday.
France 3 does not mention any change to fares, tickets or passes linked to the strike.
What to watch next
The main date to watch is the depot’s move to a private operator, which France 3 says is only days away. The drivers’ concerns are about what that change means for their working conditions, so more action around the handover is possible. The source does not confirm that further strikes have been called.
It is also worth watching for any response to FO RATP’s allegations about police conduct at the picket, and for an updated list of affected lines from the RATP. Residents who rely on buses in the north-east and south-east of Paris should keep checking line status until service is confirmed as back to normal.
Source: France 3 Paris ÃŽle-de-France
Sources
- France 3 Paris Île-de-France: Des agents RATP affirment avoir été "violemment frappés" par des policiers lors d'un piquet de grève au dépôt de bus des Lilas, accessed 30 October 2026
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