Latest news with #Vinci
Local France
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- Local France
Warning of French motorway 'péage' scam
As people head off on their summer holidays, millions will be passing through the tollbooths on French motorways. And the scammers have been taking advantage, sending out fake text messages telling people that they have an unpaid toll from a French motorway - seemingly targeting people who use the télépéage badges or the new 'free flow' motorways. The SMS purports to be from one of the private companies that operate France's autoroutes , such as Vinci or Ulys, and tells the user that they have an unpaid toll. Advertisement They are then invited to 'regularise the situation' by clicking on a link and entering bank details to pay the outstanding sum. An example of one of the scam messages The companies in question have confirmed that these are scams. Ulys says that it may contact customers by SMS "in order to complete a file", or to send reminders if the subscription payment has been rejected by your bank. The company urges its customers to remain cautious, in particular by checking the link, which should be the following: Vinci says it will only contact customers by SMS if "you have encountered a payment problem at a péage and have validated a statement of non-payment." In this case, the SMS will be sent by "VINCI" or "36035" only: "We do not use 06 or 07 numbers." Customers who do have accounts with the pre-pay télépéage system are advised to login directly to their online accounts to check if all payments have gone through, rather than clicking a link in an email or SMS. Some of the spam messages also target the new 'free flow' toll roads - where customers drive straight through and then pay online afterwards. Advertisement In truth, these are only in place on a small number of roads, and if you have driven through one you should have seen the signs advertising " péage flux libre ". Once again, it is advised to log on directly to the website, rather than clicking links in an email or text message. READ ALSO : MAP: Where are France's tollbooth-free motorways?✎ There are now three ways of paying if you are travelling on France's autoroutes this summer; Pay at the toll - the old-fashioned method involves stopping at the péage and paying as you go. Tollbooths allow you to pay with either cash or card, and almost all of them now have a contactless option for cards. This takes a little longer, but has the advantage that you know you are up to date with all payments and can therefore safely ignore any communication that claims you have an unpaid toll. Télépéage - this is a pre-registration system - you create an account with one of the companies offering télépéage, and in exchange you get a badge to hang in your car. When approaching the toll, you go into the special télépéage lane (signed with a 't') and then drive straight through without paying. The system reads your badge and then charges your account, with the exact charging system depending on the package you opted for (some are pay-as-you go, others offer a set monthly fee). You may get communications from the company when you need to renew your account, or telling you that a payment has failed (for example if you have a new bank card). Free-flow - this is only in place on certain roads, but it involves all vehicles driving straight through the péage without stopping. People who have a télépéage will be billed in the same way as when driving on other roads. Those who don't have a télépage will have to login and pay within 72 hours of passing through the toll. People who don't have internet access can pay at a tabac. READ ALSO : How will France's new free-flow autoroute tollbooths work for foreign vehicles?✎
Local France
18-07-2025
- Business
- Local France
What changes in France in August 2025
Utility bills – VAT on the the fixed part of households' electricity and gas bills will increase from 5.5 percent to 20 percent on August 1st, in line with an EU directive requiring that inseparable elements of the same good or service – in this case the subscription and the consumption of electricity – are subject to the same VAT rate. Savings – Bad news for holders of popular small savings account the Livret A. Six months after interest rates dropped from 3 percent to 2.4 percent, they are set to fall again – to 1.7 percent – on August 1st. Budget chat - having launched the outline of his 2026 Budget - aiming to save €40 billion - prime minister François Bayrou has declared that he will not be taking a summer holiday, but will instead spend the summer trying to convince opposition parties, unions and social organisations to get on board with his ideas (including scrapping two public holidays ). Formal debates on the Budget will begin once parliament resumes in September. Advertisement Wildfire alerts - French weather forecaster Météo France has predicted a risky summer for wildfires with several parts of the south already on red alert. The wildfire risk map will be updated daily throughout August. READ ALSO : MAP: How to check for wildfire alerts in France✎ Strikes - the rail union Sud Rail has filed an open-ended strike notice until September 1st, although they say they're planning weekend-long or 2-3 day strikes on dates which are yet to be announced. Meanwhile employees of Vinci, one of the companies that runs the French motorway network, have filed strike notices covering the summer holiday period, especially on the A8 in southern France. Vinci says that drivers should not be impacted - more details here . Meanwhile French air traffic controllers remain in dispute with their bosses, but at the time of writing have not filed any fresh strike notices after their hugely disruptive two-day strike at the start of June. Find all the latest strike info here . READ ALSO : Planes, trains and museums: The strikes to expect in France this summer✎ Advertisement Travel trouble – Roads watchdog Bison Futé has flagged every weekend of August as having 'very difficult' or 'extremely difficult' conditions on the country's roads as holidaymakers head out – and home. The dreaded 'crossover' weekend - when the July holidaymakers return and the August ones set out, usually the busiest weekend of the year - is this year the weekend August 1st-3rd. School aid – Millions of parents will receive a one-off means-tested government payment to help cover the cost of the numerous items that they need to purchase before children head to school. The payment is automatic for eligible families who are registered with CAF – the exact date of this year's payment is yet to be confirmed, but it usually in the middle of the month. READ ALSO What you need to know if your child is starting school in France The maximum amount parents can receive, depending on the age of any children and their income will be: €423.48 per child aged 6 to 10 years; €446.85 per child aged 11 to 14; €462.33 per child aged 15 to 18. Women's Tour de France – After starting in July, the nine-stage Women's Tour de France concludes with a 124.1km mountain stage from Praz-sur-Arly to Châtel, in Haute-Savoie, on Sunday, August 3rd. The climb to the finish, at Pré laJoux, is particularly punishing. Festivals – August is peak summer festival time in France. Bigflo and Oli, Vampire Weekend, Will Smith and Queens of the Stone Age headline this year's Cabaret Vert in Charleville-Mézières; while Chappell Roan, A$AP Rocky, Anyma, Aurora, Jorja Smith and Stereophonics are among the numerous acts lined up for Rock en Seine at Domaine national de Saint-Cloud. Advertisement Those who prefer a bit more tradition, however, might want to head to Sète for the Fêtes de la Saint-Louis. It's been going since the port was inaugurated in 1666, so they've probably got the hang of it by now. There's the town's famous water jousting, plus swimming, entertainment, shows and fireworks in store for anyone visiting the Hérault seaside town between August 21st and 26th. READ ALSO 29 unmissable festivals and events in France this summer Public holiday – The Christian festival of Assumption, on August 15th, is a public holiday in France. This year it falls on a Friday, giving those workers not already on holiday a mid-summer long weekend. Football – France's top-flight men's football league, Ligue 1, returns on August 15th, with its own pay-TV channel broadcasting eight of the weekly nine games and beIN Sports showing the remaining game. Rugby I – France's women's rugby squad cross the Channel to compete at Women's Rugby World Cup 2025 in England this month. Hosts England kick off proceedings against the first-ever winners of the tournament USA in Sunderland on Friday, August 22nd. Les Bleues' campaign kicks off against Italy the following day in Exeter. Rugby II – France's domestic second-tier professional men's competition, the ProD2, returns on August 29th, with Biarritz v Béziers at Parc des Sports d'Aguilera getting the new season under way. The Top 14 won't be back until the first weekend in September. Rentrée – the summer holidays are almost over, so enjoy them while you can, as children return to school on September 1st.
Daily Record
16-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Record
French firm behind Edinburgh Airport blasted for banning cash for parking
Campaigners said it was hypocritical for the airport to only accept card payments given it's illegal for firms to go cashless in France. The French firm which co-owns Edinburgh Airport has been blasted for banning cash payments for parking - despite it being illegal for businesses to go cashless in France. Campaigners said Scots are being treated like "second-class citizens" compared to European counterparts where many countries have passed laws protecting the right to use cash. Edinburgh is jointly owned by Vinci Airports which holds a 50.01 per cent stake in the firm alongside Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) which owns the remaining 49.99 per cent. Vinci owns 70 airports, including Gatwick and Belfast International and bought its majority stake in Edinburgh last year. Edinburgh Airport made parking charges cashless on July 1, following Glasgow and Aberdeen. But given Edinburgh Airport's French connection, Ron Delnevo, of the Payment Choice Alliance, said the move was hypocritical. He said: 'By law in France, cash must be accepted. "It's an absolute joke how we're being treated in Britain - we're being treated as second-class citizens. "All around Europe, the public has these rights but here we're being told to let businesses decide. "That's complete rubbish. Older people in particular are embarrassed if they go in somewhere and their cash is turned down.' Edinburgh Airport Limited, the company Vinci bought a majority stake in last year, remains a Scottish company. Edinburgh Airport said: "More than 90 per cent of transactions in our car parks are now cashless, and this trend informed our decision." It comes after we told how Scottish banknotes are being quietly phased out with many ATMs now issuing English cash. The Sunday Mail revealed earlier this month how Scotland's unique cash - a symbol of Scottish national identity and banking heritage - is being stripped out of circulation at four times the rate of English currency. Bank of England data shows the value of Scottish notes in circulation has slumped by nearly a fifth since 2020, the year the Covid-19 pandemic hit and saw an increase in contactless card payments. The total value of Scottish banknotes in circulation - including in people's wallets, shop tills and in the wider economy, as well as in ATMs and bank branches - had slipped below £5billion for the first time since November 2020. The value of Scottish notes held in ATMs and bank branches fell from half a billion pounds in 2017 to just £240million last year - a huge real-terms cut of 63 per cent. The Payment Choice Alliance campaigns on the right to access and use cash anywhere in the country. Some of the most vulnerable groups in the country rely on cash, including many people with disabilities - either because they do not have access to a debit card, or because someone else controls their money. People over-65s rely on cash too, as well as victims of domestic abuse who often need cash to escape controlling partners who track their debit or credit card activity. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
BBC News
12-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
First electric flight lands at Gatwick Airport
The first ever electric flight to land at Gatwick Airport touched down this Pipistrel Velis Electro plane is flying a 17-day tour around France but made a stop at Gatwick on two-seater Velis Electro can be flown commercially and is approved for pilot training, as well as a number of other well as being the first electric flight to land at the airport, Gatwick CEO Mark Johnston said it also "might just be the smallest". "We're proud to be playing our part in supporting wider efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector."Our vision is to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey, and as we grow, we must do it sustainably."Vinci, which runs Gatwick, said the tour was "early-stage concept proof" which coincides with the introduction of 47 new electric vehicles at the airport - including airside operations and engineering cars."This is part of a programme to upgrade the airport's entire 300-strong vehicle fleet to fully electric by 2030, to support a broader £250m decarbonisation programme to achieve net zero for its own emissions," the airport said.
Local France
26-06-2025
- Local France
Planes, trains and museums: France's 2025 summer strike calendar
Here's a look at the major actions announced so far; Air traffic controllers - air traffic controllers have issued a two-day strike notice for Thursday, July 3rd and Friday, July 4th. That's just as the French school holidays start - school in France mostly break up on Friday 4th - and more strikes could follow during the peak summer holiday period if no agreement is reached. The union is calling for 'a change of course to reinforce staffing levels, bring technical modernisation projects to fruition, and put operational priorities back at the heart of decision-making", and also denounced "toxic management". Full details here . Railways - the union Sud Rail has filed an open-ended strike notice until September 1st, although they say they're planning weekend-long or 2-3 day strikes on dates which are yet to be announced. A previous strike by Sud didn't actually cause any disruption on the network, this strike concerns railways staff including ticket inspectors, but not drivers. More details here . Advertisement Autoroutes - employees of Vinci, one of the companies that runs the French motorway network, have filed strike notices covering the summer holiday period, especially on the A8 in southern France. That dispute is about working conditions and lay-offs among staff who are responsible for the maintenance of the roads and service stations, plus operation of the péages . Vinci says that drivers should not be impacted - more details here . Paris museum staff - staff at 14 Paris museums staged a one-day strike , saying that their pay hasn't been increased for 17 years and most of them are on temporary contracts. This was only the museum guides and storytellers, so the museums stayed open but guided tours were disrupted. A couple of weeks earlier the Louvre saw a one-day walk out from staff who say their working conditions are intolerable. Also in Paris, drivers on Metro Line 3 are in dispute with management, they already staged a one day strike that halted traffic completely on Line 3 . Taxi drivers - taxi drivers are still in dispute with the government about changes to medical transport fees, plus what they say is unfair competition from VTC drivers like Uber. At the time of writing no fresh actions have been announced, but the dispute is not over so we could see more roadblocks and blockades of sites such as airport. These are the main industrial actions for summer 2025 that had been announced at the time of writing - you can keep up with all the latest news in our Strikes section HERE .
