Le Figaro Nantes,
From January 2023, Nantes public transport users will have to wait longer on Saturdays.
A reduction in traffic frequency, of the order of thirty seconds to two minutes, will concern the three tram lines, line 4 of the busway and certain chronobuses (C2, C6 and C20).
A
"relief",
according to Bertrand Affilé, vice-president of Nantes Métropole in charge of transport, to adapt to current attendance.
Read also“Work invigorates me”: at 95, this Nantes antique dealer does business as far as Asia
“Since the introduction of free weekends, we have seen an increase in journeys, but it remains lower than the established forecasts. There is an oversupply, ”
he explains to Le
Figaro
.
Not long ago, the semi-public company which operates the Nantes conurbation's public transport network (Semitan) mentioned attendance which
"remains at 90% at the level of that observed in 2019"
.
Choice was therefore made to reduce the sail on
"highly endowed lines and for which there is reserve"
, defends Bertrand Affilé.
Lack of drivers
In addition to the drop in the number of passengers, Semitan is also struggling to recruit drivers.
Hence the idea of reducing the number of vehicles in circulation.
The elected official recognizes this but puts the current difficulties into perspective:
“It is a little less tense thanks to the mobilization of the human resources department.
From now on, the processing of applications is done on the fly.
As soon as a candidate presents himself, a jury is put in place.
Devices to accommodate people
in retraining or attract young people in training have also emerged.
Bertrand Affilé also designs a
“financial effort”,
without being more precise.
Another novelty for the start of the 2023 school year
In a press release published on December 20, Semitan indicated that “the charter lines 59, 71, 75, 78, 80, 81, 87, 88, 91, E1, E5 and E8, which operated in green day from September to December, resume their nominal service on weekdays (blue day) from January 3, 2023”.
For Bertrand Affilé, “this is a positive point for the inhabitants of the first and second ring of Nantes”.
So many arguments that find little favor in the eyes of the opposition of the right and the center.
“If we reduce the offer, this amounts to lowering the comfort of users because transport will be crowded.
It also means a degradation of service with longer waiting times
, ”tackles Julien Bainvel.
Especially since, according to him, the network is already saturated at times:
“On the line that I use, in the evening around 7 p.m., I often let trams pass”
.
Free on weekends: nothing changes
For the elected LR, the Metropolis made a bad choice by betting on free weekends.
“A decision which is expensive, around 10 million euros per year, and which does not produce any results”
, he believes.
He advocates its removal to the detriment of a better offer, even if it means increasing the price of tickets or subscriptions:
"I am convinced that users are ready to hear that we touch the prices in exchange for a quality service .
»
Read alsoA Dublin-Nantes flight returns to its starting point after a seven-hour journey and a detour to Marseille
For Bertrand Affilé, this speech reflects a
"simplistic vision"
of the situation.
For him, free admission at the weekend has made it possible to cushion the drop in attendance observed and to reduce the price of subscriptions by around 20%.
"For the moment, the questioning of this decision is not on the agenda"
, he slices.
On the other hand, a tariff evolution is well in preparation.
This stems from the explosion of the energy bill which weighs on the accounts of Semitan.
"This represents a 4% increase in the cost per kilometer traveled compared to 2019"
, calculates the mayor of Saint-Herblain.
More expensive transport in 2023?
Overall, according to initial estimates, the increase in this item of expenditure will be between "
20 and 45 million euros"
for the year 2023, which represents
"nearly half of the company's tariff revenue"
.
For the vice-president of Nantes Métropole in charge of transport, Semitan
"will not be able to get by without an increase in prices".
A choice made so as not to charge the additional cost of the energy bill only to the owners via the property tax but to
“all users”
.
How much will this increase be?
For the moment, nothing is done.
The subject will be addressed in April during the deliberation "
offers and prices
" of the metropolitan council, specifies Bertrand Affilé.
The increase should be applied
“in the summer”
, he anticipates.
Read alsoLoire-Atlantique: a walker trapped by the rising waters at the foot of a cliff
As a reminder, since July 1, 2022, Semitan fares have increased by an average of 1.56%, with the exception of the ticket sold individually (€1.70 or €2 on board).
The unlimited formula has thus gone from €492.80 to €500 (from €224 to €227 for those under 26), the monthly ticket from €55.20 to €57 (from €32.80 to €34 for those under 26) and the booklet of ten tickets, from €15.60 to €16.
The tailor-made formula trip has gone from €1.51 per unit to €1.52.