France: Paris area buses 1990-1992

Friday 1 May 1992 (a public holiday) – RATP 4144 represents the RVI PR100.2, a design originating with Berliet prior to it merging into RVI with Renault. Apart from some articulated models of this type there were few PR100.2 buses seen in the city centre area. This was a late 1980s model seen at Gare l’Est and the bus that would take us to Charles de Gaulle Airport. Rather than travel on the Air France city to airport service we had sufficient time to travel on service 350 which provided an interesting ride as it picked up and set down local folk along the route. (Apart from that it was cheaper too!). The driver was all set to work a short run of service 350 only as far as Le Bourget Airport but he got a call from the controller instructing him to work right through to Charles de Gaulle. The blinds were set for the original plan, the diagonal line through the service number indicating a short working. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Thursday 30 April 1992 – RATP 4633 seen turning on to Pont Neuf from Quai du Louvre at Place de l’Ecole on a mid morning working of service 27 from Gare St Lazare to Porte de Vitry. It is an RVI PR100 articulated, a design that originated with Berliet prior to it merging into RVI with Renault. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Thursday 30 April 1992 – RATP 4640 seen parked at Rue de l’Arcade close by Gare St Lazare between trips on service 27 to Porte de Vitry. It is an RVI PR100 articulated, a design that originated with Berliet prior to it merging into RVI with Renault. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Thursday 30 April 1992 – RATP 4822 seen in Place Saint Germain des Pres on a mid-morning working of service 95 from Gare Montparnasse to Porte de Montmartre. Many RATP services traverse some narrow streets and 4822 is about to disappear down Rue de Bonaparte in the background. It is an RVI PR100 articulated, a design that originated with Berliet prior to it merging into RVI with Renault. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Thursday 30 April 1992 – RATP 5111 stood at Gare St Lazare prior to leaving on a trip of service 26 to Cours de Vincennes. It is an RVI R312. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Thursday 30 April 1992 – RATP 5332, an RVI R312, seen on Boulevard Saint Germain when working service 94 from Gare Montparnasse to Levallois Mairie. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 28 April 1992 – A pair of RATP Renault R312’s stood at Gare St Lazare. At the time of my visit these were among the latest buses in service. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Monday 3 September 1990 (1630) – An earlier style RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) SC10 seen travelling across Porte d’Italie on service 47. The famous Périphérique ring road lies in the stone lined cutting in the foreground of this photograph.

Monday 3 September 1990 (1630) - A Renault SC10R of RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) seen travelling across Porte d’Italie just after departing from the interchange bearing the same name on service 185 that ran to the suburbs near Orly Airport. In the main services numbered below 100 operated within the city area bordered by the famous Périphérique ring road (which is in the stone lined cutting in the foreground of this photograph) and services with numbers over 100 operated outside that area. Périphérique

Thursday 30 April 1992 – RATP 3080, an RVI SC10R new 1984, in Boulevard Raspail passing Hotel Cayre not far from Saint German des Pres when working a morning peak trip of service 83. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 28 April 1992 – RATP 3085, an RVI SC10R new 1984, in Boulevard Raspail at Sevres-Babylone cross roads. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 28 April 1992 – RATP 3085, an RVI SC10R new 1984, in Avenue Winston Churchill with the Petit Palace on the right. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 4 September 1990 – RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) publicity quoted service ‘PC’ as ‘Petit Ceinture’ (the inner circle) and ‘Toutes les portes de Paris’ (literally to say something like it serves all the gates of Paris). All around the Paris outer ring are the ‘Portes’, the old city gateways, each carrying the name of the distant provincial town to which the roads out of the city led. 3501, a Renault SC10R dating from the mid-1980s, sets down at Porte d’Italie in the morning rush hour. This interchange point was served by a number of different bus services in addition to having a Metro station. RATP buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Friday 1 May 1992 (a public holiday) - RATP 3829, an RVI SC10R, seen in Place de la Concorde. It was operating the ‘Balabus’ service, a cross city service linking a number of popular recreational and tourist landmarks that only ran on Sundays and Public Holidays. We travelled on this bus a few times over the day to do our sightseeing. I believe the word ‘bala’ is taken from the word ‘balader’ meaning to wander or to stroll. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Friday 1 May 1992 (a public holiday) - RATP 3829, an RVI SC10R, seen crossing Place de la Concorde. It was operating the ‘Balabus’ service, a cross city service linking a number of popular recreational and tourist landmarks that only ran on Sundays and Public Holidays. We travelled on this bus a few times over the day to do our sightseeing. I believe the word ‘bala’ is taken from the word ‘balader’ meaning to wander or to stroll. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 4 September 1990 - RATP 3863, a late 1980s RVI SC10R, in the morning rush hour traffic near Porte d’Italie/Avenue de la Porte d’Italie. Destination display if for service 131 to L’Haý-les-Roses – Les Dahlias. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Tuesday 4 September 1990 (approx. 0830) – After taking delivery of RVI (Renault) SC10R buses 9351-9999 between 1991 and 1994 RATP reverted to lower fleet numbers starting at 3001 from 1984 onwards. 9728, on service 184, and what looks like 3873, on service 131, makes slow progress across Avenue de la Porte d’Italie in the morning rush hour traffic. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.

Friday 1 May 1992 (a public holiday) – RATP 7863, a Saviem SC10, featured the open rear platform only found on a small number of Paris buses by the time of this photograph. The style was a compromise that perpetuated the fashion of bygone days whereby passengers could board the bus by a centre entry in the centre of the rear and then choose to travel on the open rear platform or continue to the inside seating. Service 20, which runs between Gare de Lyon and Gare St Lazare via the Bastille, Place de la Republique and Opera, was one of the last services to be worked with buses retaining the feature. RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens) buses did not carry registration numbers in the normal way, the fleet number was carried as a registration number.