Carte Améthyste Explained

See main article: Public transport fares in the Île-de-France.

The French: '''Carte Améthyste''' is an annual season ticket for the elderly and disabled (aged over 20). It allows free second-class transport in the Île-de-France on all services provided by the RATP (the regional public transport authority) and the SNCF (the state-owned national railway operator).

Eligibility

The card is provided to:

Those over 65 years of age, or 60 who are recognised as unfit for work
Those over 20 years of age who are assessed as being more than 80% disabled
War veterans and their widows over 65 years of age
Those deported or, interned or placed in concentration camps during the Second World War, and their French dependents over 60 years of age, subject to a means test
Those that served in reserved occupations, and their widows, without being subject to a means test.

Format

The Carte Améthyste is provided through the recipient's local Social Services department. It allows free travel in second class on services provided by the RATP and the SNCF in the Île-de-France. It can also be used on the night bus service Noctilien, but not to get to or from the airports, nor buses that have special fares.^[1]

The card is valid for a year from the date of issue, and can be renewed annually. It can be combined with the Carte Rubis, which is designed for use on the Optile bus network.

In 2010, the annual cost of the card was, without the optional "lost or stolen" insurance, which cost an extra . Renewal was included in the price of the card. The real cost of each card issued (that is to say, what it cost for the same travel without the card) amounted to at 1 July 2009.^[2]

Notes and References

Web site: Abonnement séniors - Cartes Émeraude et Améthyste . . French . 29 November 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101211175313/http://www.ratp.info/informer/seniors.php . December 11, 2010 .
Web site: Carte Améthyste. French. Conseil général du Val-de-Marne. 29 November 2011.