Public transport in France - Statistics & Facts
The idea of a shared urban transport system in France first emerged in 1662. The polymath Blaise Pascal obtained permission from King Louis XIV to establish a public carriage company that would operate five routes in Paris. Though this company only remained in operation for a short time, it left the foundation on which most of the current public transit agencies are based. Today, French public transit is a much more complex system, with metro networks, streetcars, commuter trains, and buses, among other modes.
