some residents have been waiting months for repairs

In Clichy-la-Garenne (Hauts-de-Seine), in a ten-storey building barely five years old, the elevator has been tripping every seven minutes for six months. A woman, who suffers from the knee, can no longer bear it. “Ten floors is a long time, I stop every two floors for example”, she explains. Despite multiple interventions by the lift operator, the situation remains unchanged. The breakdown would be linked to a faulty electronic part which will be changed in mid-October according to the lessor.

In 2021, 1.5 million elevator failures were reported. They are not more numerous, but the repair times have lengthened. “The problem today is the lack of confirmed personnel and also the lack of certain components”, details Sylvie Gallupo, trade unionist FO of the elevator operator Otis. In addition to this, elevator repairs are often a source of conflict since the person who must pay for them is not always identified.