road agents insulted daily and attacked during their work

Every evening, agents intervene to close portions of the highway in Île-de-France, and like every evening, some motorists try to force their way through. “This is the typical example of incivility, they want to enter the markup when it’s already closed”, notes Bruno Arnoux, operating officer of the Ile-de-France roads department (DIRIF). The officers have to deal with the annoyance, but also with the daily aggressiveness of the drivers. “We are insulted, they rush, they try to pass”testifies Jean-Pierre Epil, operating agent of the DIRIF.

Some motorists do not hesitate to throw objects at them. David Colas, DIRIF operating agent, was attacked by a man on a scooter, who had entered the secure perimeter. “He started pushing me, insulting me (…) and then, all of a sudden, I felt the blows raining down, without really understanding what was going on”, he recalls. Taken to the hospital, he has a broken tooth and his attacker was ordered to pay him compensation of 5,000 euros. The agents do not understand this aggressiveness against them, while they ensure safety on the road.