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Geneva public transport stops at French border following riots

AFP
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Geneva public transport stops at French border following riots
A Léman Express train on the French side of the border. The train runs from Geneva to Annemasse. Photo: Fabrice COFFRINI/AFP.

Geneva's cross-border public trams and buses did not run across the Swiss frontier into France on Friday evening following riots sparked by a fatal police shooting in a Paris suburb.

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Geneva's cross-border public trams and buses did not run across the Swiss frontier into France on Friday evening following riots sparked by a fatal police shooting in a Paris suburb.

France had imposed a nationwide 9:00 pm halt to bus and tram services in anticipation of a fourth consecutive night of protests over the killing of a teenager during a traffic stop.

READ ALSO: Police make 1,000 arrests on 'less intense' fourth night of rioting in France

Switzerland's second-biggest city, in the east of the country, is surrounded by France on three sides. Many of its public transport lines run across the border into dormitory towns on the other side.

A statement on the website of Geneva public transport operator TPG said that the decision had been made in response to the French restrictions: "We recommend that our customers who travel by public transport on cross-border lines plan their trips and consult the traffic information on our site and our apps."

Some lines stopped at the border while three cross-border routes stopped running altogether.

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So-called frontaliers – cross-border commuters – play a major role in Geneva's economy. Around 107,000 people work in Geneva but live on the French side of the border, where living costs are much cheaper.

Nowhere in the Swiss city is more than 5.5 kilometres from the French border.

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