To discuss the day of mobilization scheduled for Tuesday, March 7, the Minister of Transport Clément Beaune did not go there with the back of the spoon: "it will be one of the most difficult days we have
known
", said he warned.
Massive and lasting disruptions are indeed announced on the rail, with "highly disrupted"
traffic
at the SNCF and the RATP on the RER and the metro.
One out of five TGV and one TER, one out of three or even five trains on the Ile-de-France network… And the situation could continue, this new day of strike having the particularity of being renewable.
The minister thus invites
“all those who have the possibility of teleworking to seize it”.
But for many French people who cannot postpone their trips, it's time to find a plan B. What are the alternatives to public transport?
How to anticipate tomorrow's strike day (and the following ones)?
Le
Figaro
takes stock.
Taxis and VTC
In Paris and other metropolitan areas of France, it is the number one alternative to public transport.
But hailing a taxi or ordering a VTC is proving more and more laborious.
It's no longer a secret: the sector is facing a major shortage of drivers.
With the strong recovery in activity in Île-de-France, demand very often exceeds the supply of available vehicles.
So, in times of strike... Of course, taxi apps allow you to book a trip in advance, for an additional fee, but the platforms "
limit the number of vehicles that can be reserved for subscribers, premium customers
" as an expert in the field explains.
Parisian
sector
.
To be part of these
happy few
,
Watch out for prices, too.
For taxis, no risk: fares are regulated (in the capital, depending on the time slot and the days of the week), as are fixed prices to Paris airports.
On the other hand, for VTCs, which are free to set their prices according to supply and demand, it's a bit of a lottery.
The price of the races is thus likely to soar tomorrow and in the days to come.
It is therefore not certain that VTCs remain the most financially attractive option, but that the followers of Uber, Bolt or FreeNow can console themselves: these three platforms now reference taxis that work at the taximeter on their app.
Spoiled for choice, or almost.
Rental bikes
During the strike day of October 18, Vélib launched the “
Au Boulot en Vélib
” operation.
Or a free trial day of the service to encourage cycling.
This operation is not repeated for the mobilization day of March 7.
To use the bike rental service, Parisians will therefore have to subscribe to one of the following offers: the Ticket-V (a 45-minute mechanical or electric Vélib' journey) at 3 euros, the classic 24H Pass (24 hours on a mechanical Vélib' for 30-minute journeys) at 5 euros, or for longer distances, a 24-hour electric pass (24 hours on a Vélib, for 60-minute mechanical or electric journeys) at 10 euros.
In the busiest stations, getting your hands on a free vehicle (and in good condition) should however be a challenge.
To avoid wandering too long in search of the precious sesame, the installation of the Vélib application, which allows you to view the availability of each station in real time, seems essential.
Parisians can also keep in mind that other operators offer self-service bicycles, like Lime or Dott.
Self-service scooters
Electric scooters may well be in the sights of municipalities - a referendum on the use of self-service electric scooters organized by the City of Paris will be held on April 2 - they are more and more popular with city dwellers in days of strike.
During the last social mobilization on January 31, the Lime service recorded an increase of almost 90% in its usual demand.
This time again, Ile-de-France residents should storm the two-wheeled vehicles.
But the scooter offer is limited: in the capital, for example, only three operators - Dott, Lime and TIER - are authorized to deploy their fleets, i.e. a maximum of 5,000 machines.
To prevent the quest for scooters from turning into a rat race, Lime ensures that its teams are mobilized to ensure the availability of the fleet, especially at peak times (between 7 a.m. and 10 a.m. and between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.).
The operator also anticipates “
more regular battery changes given that travel times increase by +30% on average on strike days
”.
If regular users are familiar with it, the Lime platform advises novices to anticipate their journeys tomorrow as much as possible.
This, by downloading the application today so as to create an account upstream and by identifying the parking zones closest to home.
Carpooling
Convenient for short journeys, soft mobility is not really appropriate for long-distance travel... There remains one solution for moving responsibly and at a low price: carpooling.
Île-de-France Mobilités offers carpooling to all annual, monthly and Imagin'R Navigo subscribers during strike days, in partnership with 3 carpooling platforms: Karos, Klaxit and Blablacar Daily.
To find the list of carpooling routes available, go to the application or the Île-de-France Mobilités website.
Once the route has been chosen, the user is redirected to one of the partner platforms to finalize the reservation and put them in contact with the driver.
Do you have to rush on the Internet to be sure to find the shoe that suits you?
BlaBlacar predicts “
a 20% increase in trips offered by drivers on Tuesday
”.
In addition, the platform invites interested users to “
not panic
”, some drivers having a habit of showing up just before their departure.
Last minute or long-term reservation, “
the price does not move
”, assures the platform.
In addition, Île-de-France Mobilité encourages Ile-de-France motorists to open their doors.
Each trip offered by a motorist is remunerated advantageously thanks to a special subsidy granted for each trip by the transport organizer.
Depending on the distance travelled, the driver can expect to earn up to €4.50 per trip.
It should be noted that this boost is compatible with the government's “
daily carpooling
” plan, which rewards first-time drivers with a bonus of €100.
Bus
In view of the disturbances announced on the rail, regional (TER) as national (TGV, Ouigo ...), the bus has something to seduce.
During the Christmas holidays, FlixBus, which captured some of the 200,000 injured rail passengers, had recorded growth of 15%.
However, the crowd should be more moderate tomorrow, since the school holidays have passed.
This is why FlixBus does not “
plan to set up
any particular device for the moment
”.
The platform indicates that there are “
seats left in FlixBus at this time of year
” but recommends customers wishing to travel on strike days “
to book their ticket as soon as possible in order to benefit from the best offers and prices
”.
Another story at BlaBlaCar Bus, which plans to charter additional buses on the most sought-after routes, with a view to a renewable strike.
While acknowledging "
an increase in demand for the coming weeks
", the subsidiary of BlaBlaCar ensures that there "
are places left
" in its buses and that "
prices can be attractive even at the last minute
".
No panic, then.
Peer-to-peer car rental
It is still a discreet solution, but it has the wind in its sails.
To compensate for the lack of public transport, some opt for car rental between individuals on the Internet.
A handful of online platforms share this market, which has been growing since the start of the mobilizations: OuiCar, Getaround, Roadstr... Many vehicles are available for rental on the Getaround application, throughout France, from 25 euros the day.
Motorists looking for a
premium
service should be satisfied with the Carlili application, which takes care of delivering (including at the last minute) the rental vehicle and picking it up, regardless of the location.
