The bill goes up.
The control of sanitary passes for train passengers, provided by external service providers, will cost SNCF "several million euros", its CEO Jean-Pierre Farandou estimated on Sunday, in the program Le Grand Jury RTL-Le Figaro- LCI, also specifying that this additional cost was still being assessed.
Since August 9, passengers must be able to present a health pass to take a TGV (Inoui and Ouigo), an Intercités or an international long-distance train departing from France.
How much will the control of health passes cost the SNCF?
According to its chairman and managing director, "the evaluation of the additional cost will not be far from a hundred million euros" #LeGrandJury pic.twitter.com/awz7VfiFuA
- The Grand Jury (@LeGrandJury) September 12, 2021
The control of the pass was entrusted to service providers because "we could not recruit thousands of railway workers at the last moment", explained Mr. Farandou.
This expenditure is in addition to the 60 million euros disbursed so far for the disinfection of trains, he said, estimating that the total additional cost of these health measures would reach "not far from a hundred million euros ".
"We will increase the volume of verification"
“I have no regrets about it.
We had to act (…) to respect very strictly (…) the health obligations imposed on us, ”he said.
The government has set the SNCF a target of controlling passes in 25% of long-distance trains, he reported.
"We will increase the volume of verification, we will increase to 30, 40% of the trains," he assured.
VIDEO.
Health passes: Gare de Lyon, a blue bracelet for travelers in good standing
During checks, "99% of passengers are provided with a health pass," he said, adding that "the small percent that is missing, we manage to catch up" via antigenic tests near stations.
The pass is validated by a complete vaccination schedule, a negative test dating back less than 72 hours or a certificate of recovery from Covid-19.