Paris recently celebrated the one-year-to-go milestone as it prepares to host the Games, but a new poll has highlighted the public’s concerns over the readiness of security and transport for the event.

French market research and consultancy firm Elabe has published the results of its survey which questioned a total of 1,001 people over the age of 18.

The poll published in French newspaper Les Echos found that 48 per cent of respondents were indifferent about the prospect of the Olympic Games, while 32 per cent were sceptical and only 20 per cent were enthusiastic.

Among those that expressed doubts, 40 per cent of them came from Paris, according to the survey.

"The skepticism (sic) of the population, which is more marked in the Paris region than in the provinces, is undoubtedly explained by a more acute awareness of the difficulties of mobility, tensions on the housing market, and a fear of seeing his way of life disrupted during the tests," said Raphaël Tavanti Geuzimian, project manager for the economic projects at the Institut Montaigne.

"In its mid-term review of the 2020 municipal elections, the Institut Montaigne highlighted the importance of the Olympic Games in the Parisian countryside and the significant levels of investment it devotes to its development efforts to allow better reception of the public at the time of the event.

"These efforts are not always matched by popular support, as the poll indicates."

The survey found that 63 per cent of respondents did not believe France would be prepared to host the Olympics from a security perspective, while 58 per cent were concerned about the readiness of transport to cope with a surge in demand.

Parisian citizens surveyed are the most pessimistic on the subject of transport.

The arrival of tourists to France split opinion in the poll, with 50 per cent believing that France will be ready and 49 per cent saying otherwise.

"There is a relative lack of interest on the part of the French population, despite the communication campaigns deployed to launch the countdown to one year," said Geuzimian.

"It is above all skeptical (sic) as to the reception capacities, in particular with regard to transport, little helped in this by the shortcomings of the Ile-de-France network; and security where the troubled memory of the incidents of the 2022 Champions League final at the Stade de France remains haunting."

Elabe President Bernard Sananès added: "For the moment, the popular enthusiasm is not there.

"The French have other concerns.

"The context of pressure on purchasing power, the war in Ukraine, the climate crisis, are all elements that put the Olympics in the background… for now.

"There is an effect of immediacy, when the event is there, we will undoubtedly live it with pride."

The survey did highlight some positives for the organisation of Paris 2024, with 64 per cent believing infrastructure including venues and Athletes’ Village will be ready in time for the Games.

It also found that six out of 10 French people welcomed the positive impact of the Olympics in terms of tourism, the development of sport and France’s place in the world.

The publication of the poll comes a little more than a week after Paris 2024 issued the results of its own survey which underlined strong support for next year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games.

To read the poll conducted by Elabe click here.