As competition looms for public transport lines in Île-de-France, RATP is preparing to sign a new contract with Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM).
This agreement, which will govern the period 2021-2024, will bring its share of changes for public transport users, according to information from Le
Parisien
.
Among these new features, a partial reimbursement of the transport ticket in the event of excessive delays.
Read also: RATP: CGT rally against union repression and competition
Concretely, the RATP will have to offer compensation to Ile-de-France residents who use the RER A or RER B in the event of repeated delays.
According to the contract negotiated by the RATP and the regulatory authority for transport in Île-de-France, if the punctuality of trains is less than 80% over a period of 3 to 5 months on a branch, users will be able to obtain equivalent compensation. half a month from Navigo pass.
In the event of delays which extend over a longer period, that is to say between 6 and 9 months, this reimbursement will be equal to one month of Navigo pass.
Beyond nine months of repeated delays, users will be able to claim reimbursement for a month and a half of the pass.
Also according to
Le Parisien
, the punctuality of the subways, generally respected during peak hours, will be monitored during off-peak hours with a new punctuality indicator.
Indicators will also be introduced concerning cleanliness, and information in the event of work or a strike.
Regarding social movements precisely, "
reimbursement will be automatic
" for users, argues Valérie Pécresse, president of the Île-de-France region, who keeps in mind the procrastination around reimbursements at the time of the transport strike winter 2019-2020.
Preparation for opening up to competition
These requirements are accompanied by savings for RATP: it will have to reduce its operating costs by 200 million euros (out of a total of 21.2 billion euros paid).
So many new constraints which lay the foundations for adaptation to the imminent opening up to competition.
This should take place on January 1, 2025. In an opinion published in January, the Court of Auditors warned: the company suffers from "
additional costs
", due to a "
social framework largely inherited from the 'story (...) likely to penalize it
"
Read also: RATP and Transdev to win back lost travelers
These developments are not without friction with the trade unions.
Last Friday, a national day of action was organized by the CGT in urban and interurban transport, in particular to demand wage increases, oppose competition in this sector and protest against union repression.
At RATP, the CGT call for a strike "
had no impact on traffic
", according to information collected by AFP from management.