Valérie Pécresse, president of Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), managed to obtain state aid that will allow her to continue to operate public transport in the region impoverished by the Covid-19, but she judge
"very insufficient"
, already giving an appointment at Matignon next year.
See also Île-de-France Mobilités suspends its payments to RATP and SNCF
"After several months of negotiations, the Prime Minister accepted that the State grant Ile-de-France Mobilités aid of 800 million for the year 2021, to which is added a cash aid of 274 million euros , which will be reimbursed in early 2022, ”
IDFM announced in a press release Monday. The Ministry of Transport immediately pointed out that this aid - which has yet to be endorsed by Parliament - would be repayable, and does not constitute a subsidy.
"Thanks to this new support, the State shows that it is once again ready to support the colossal investments launched on the public transport network in France"
, commented the Minister for Transport, Jean-Baptiste Djebbari , quoted in a press release.
"The terms of repayment (of this advance) will be studied with the State in order not to undermine the financial sustainability of IDFM in the short and long term"
, was specified Monday evening in the entourage of Ms. Pécresse .
The sum is in any case significantly lower than the 1.3 billion euros claimed by the president of the Ile-de-France region, but it will allow her to pay RATP and SNCF again.
Suspension of payments
The regional transport authority had indeed suspended its payments to the two public groups, for lack of money according to its leaders - and also to put pressure on the executive. IDFM had already stopped paying for two months in the summer of 2020 for the same reasons. But the RATP and the SNCF have not for all that stopped running their trains, RER, subways, trams and buses, neither last year, nor this year. For the 2020 losses, IDFM had obtained from the State 1.16 billion euros in repayable advance and 151 million in subsidy.
Highlighting the examples of neighboring countries which massively help their public transport, Valérie Pécresse demanded direct subsidies this year, and not repayable advances.
"We have always been very clear on the fact that this Covid crisis could not be paid for by users, and that it should not endanger the investments necessary for the regeneration of the network and the renewal of rolling stock"
, explained to AFP at the end of September his right-hand man, Grégoire de Lasteyrie.
Battle of numbers
The shortfall in the finances of IDFM comes from the drop in the yield of the mobility payment (a tax on the payroll of companies with more than 11 employees, which represents more than 50% of IDFM's resources) and income from travelers (the ticket office represents around 30% of resources). State and IDFM do not agree, the ministry writing in particular on Monday that the mobility payment has returned to its pre-crisis level this year, when Valérie Pécresse's team notes a loss of 300 million euros.
The elected (Free!) - also a candidate for the nomination of the Republicans for the presidential election - is therefore against bad luck. The aid granted by the government this year is considered
"very insufficient in relation to the needs of the network"
and
"leaves the finances of Ile-de-France Mobilités in high tension",
according to the press release published Monday after the board of directors of IDFM.
"Under these conditions, Ile-de-France Mobilités will be forced to return to the State in 2022"
, year for which he currently anticipates a loss of 730 million euros compared to pre-crisis forecasts, already warns the regional institution.
IDFM predicts that the mobility payment will not return to its pre-crisis level until 2024, and that it will then yield less than expected.
Ditto for ticket sales, the effect of teleworking in the long term being estimated at 5% of fare revenues.