SECURITY: Police are mobilised to check train arrivals during Ascension and Pentecost weekends for travellers breaking the 100km deconfinement rule
- his Wednesday, a dozen police officers carried out several control operations, in the Lille stations, at the exit of the trains, in particular coming from Paris.
- In the department which remains in red, special authorizations are required to make trips of more than 100 km.
- Travellers are most often fined for non-compliance with the wearing of a mask.
Even with the end of confinement , the certificate of displacement still exists. And the police are responsible for recalling it. This Wednesday, a dozen police officers conducted several control operations, in Lille stations, at the exit of trains from Paris or more distant destinations.
Because, at least until June 2, special authorizations to make trips of more than 100 km remain mandatory. Unless you stay inside the same department. “You can go from Fourmies to Dunkirk without restriction, while there are more than 100 km,” said Matthieu Legrand, communication officer of the Departmental Directorate of Public Security (DDSP).
Daily checks during the weekend
Otherwise, each traveller today needs three documents to justify their trips: the new certificate with seven criteria beyond 100 km, a document attesting to the reason for this trip of more than 100 km and, on any occasion, proof of address.
As much to be warned, for this long weekend of the Ascension, because the controls will be daily in the stations of Lille. And the operation must be repeated for the Pentecost weekend. “It is a question of limiting large displacements to avoid the propagation of the coronavirus because the department of North remains in red”, explains Matthieu Legrand.
At the exit of the trains, it’s a bit of a lottery. “We cannot control everyone without causing traffic jams, so we carry out random checks,” said a police officer. Except in case of non-compliance with the wearing of the mask. The offence being the most visible, it is moreover the most frequent verbalizations: ten minutes out of thirteen distributed, on Tuesday, to 230 people checked.
No mask
The previous weekend, the number of tickets had risen to 125 in two days. Again, mainly due to the lack of a mask. At the exit of a train coming from Paris, a young woman is arrested. “I am surprised by this check, but it is a good thing,” she admits, showing all the certificates necessary to travel between Paris and Lille.
A medical intern, checked a little further, is also in good standing. For this female asylum seeker, the explanations are more complicated. But the presentation of a summons from the French Office for Immigration and Integration (OFII) saves him the day.
For the police, it is necessary to act quickly because the TGV empties quickly. A pair had time to control two people. “No problem, their motive was a move,” says a police officer, before going to another train arrival, from Marseille, this time.
