And you all thought my post the other day about the price of trips to and around Europe going up was a trip.

Ah, the French. They are so au contraire.

Last week they went off the rails to force travelers ON to them.

In Gaia’s name, of course.

France has banned short-haul flights where people are able to get a train instead, in a bid to reduce carbon emissions.

The ban affects journeys that can be completed by train in less than two-and-a-half hours, ruling out flights between Paris and Nantes, Lyon and Bordeaux.

Connecting flights are unaffected by the ban.

…The train journey time was reduced to two-and-a-half hours after objections.

All the French Greens have warm fuzzies at the thought of the inconvenience they’re now subjecting their fellow citizens to.

…The final version of the law means that journeys which can be taken in under 2.5 hours by train can’t be taken by plane. There also needs to be enough trains throughout the day that travellers can spend at least eight hours at their destination.

Clement Beaune, the country’s Transport Minister, called the measures an “essential step and a strong symbol in the policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions”.

The initial roll-out of the French plan in the on-going war against emissions to save the planet doesn’t really have a huge impact on lots of routes and I’m sure most people are grateful for that. The French were testy none-the-less at the suggestion that it was all virtue signaling.

…In reality, the final version of the law means that just three flight routes have been impacted – Paris-Orly to Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon. These trips were already cut back in 2020 so essentially it just ensures they can’t be brought back.

…Critics have said it is merely “symbolic” in paying lip service to climate concerns without any significant reduction in carbon emissions. Transport & Environment estimates that it represents just 0.3 per cent of the emissions produced by flights taking off from mainland France.

Beaune hit back against claims of greenwashing on Twitter assuring more flights would be cut in the future when the ban is reviewed.

“The decree is valid for 3 years so we can be more ambitious as we go further, by increasing the time of travel from 2.5 hours to at least 3 hours in the future,” he said.

*le sniff*

The bigger problem is the copycat mentality of the entire European Union and the fact that Europeans are pretty used to 1) cheap flights 2) hopping on board a short one from point A to B. If calls start coming in to adapt the French model and force everyone on to trains – that are already pretty packed, mind you – people just might get upset. As Ebola and his significant other are ranting about price spikes already on commuter flights between northern Italy and Germany, I don’t think “take the train” is going to improve things.

For example. the Spanish had already proposed such a ridiculous idea until it was pointed out that no one in the country would then be able to take a flight anywhere but out of the country. Centrally located Madrid is but a couple hour train ride from any point in Spain in any direction. Were authorities seriously considering banning air travel within the country itself?

…In 2021, Spain presented a plan to ban short-haul flights where journeys could be made by train in under 2.5 hours by 2050. It could mean no more flights from Madrid to anywhere on the mainland.

Much like the French short-haul flight ban, it attracted angry protests from airlines at the time. They claimed that the plan would have a ‘devastating’ effect on aviation, tourism and the country’s economy.

Touristas do not have time to wait hours for a train and then hours more for the actual journey.

Euro Green dreamers won’t let that stop them. I mean, the little climate fascists are itching to find something else to forbid the people.

…But will the ban eventually be extended to cover the rest of Europe? Well, quite possibly. While such a policy isn’t currently on the cards for the EU, France’s new rule could certainly be seen as paving the way for further change – and several people have already called for the ban to be replicated across the continent.

Belgian politician Georges Gilkinet, for instance, told The i that shorter flights should be replaced by improved rail connections. Gilkinet said he wants ‘to forbid such little distance flights’ and that ‘on a European level, this makes sense’. He was speaking at the launch of the new Brussels-Berlin European Sleeper night train service, which began services last week.

It always “makes sense” to them whenever they want to “forbid” something that makes life easier and enables freedom of movement for peop…oh.

France has become the first country in the world to BAN some short haul flights to “cut carbon emissions”.

Don’t be fooled however, this isn’t about climate change, it’s about the control of your movement.https://t.co/sqbxFTbU1T pic.twitter.com/JXsaHxRFor

— Lewis Brackpool (@Lewis_Brackpool) May 26, 2023

Bugs on the menu in economy, no doubt.