9-year delay for wheelchair access

PUBLIC services, shops and businesses in France could be given up to an extra nine years to make their buildings wheelchair-accessible, after failing to reach the original 2015 deadline.

The government says somewhere between 15% and 40% of buildings covered by the 2005 accessibility law have made the necessary amendments.

It has drawn up an amendment to the law that would give small buildings (with a capacity under 200) an extra three years to take action.

Larger buildings - and organisations that are found to have a "recognised financial difficulty" in making the upgrades - would be granted extensions of six or nine years.

Urban public transport networks would have their deadline extended by three years - and the French rail network up to nine years.

To benefit from the relaxed timeframes, organisations would be required to draw up an "accessibility schedule", lodged with the local mairie or préfecture by October 2015, setting out a timetable for making the necessary changes.

By doing so, they would avoid the fines currently allowed by the law - which go up to €45,000. Organisations that fail to draw up a schedule for renovation works face a €2,500 fine and prosecution.

Nicolas Mérille from the Association des Paralysés de France told Europe 1 there were was a "lack of political will" to enforce the 2005 law on accessibility.

France's main opposition party, Les Républicans, abstained from the vote. The Front National backed the changes, while the Front de Gauche opposed, describing it as an "erosion of rights".