The Group of Responsible Transport Authorities (Gart), which federates local authorities organizing public transport in France, called Tuesday for the appointment of a full-time minister for transport. The reshuffle that took place last Thursday ratified the appointment of only 14 ministers with broad scopes, including Christophe Béchu to the Ecological Transition, the ministry responsible for transport. Secretaries of State and Deputy Ministers are yet to be appointed in the near future.
But representatives from several sectors, including energy, housing and the civil service, have protested the lack of a dedicated minister so far. "Mobility is a daily issue and getting around is a necessity for all our fellow citizens," Gart said in a statement.
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'Contradiction with stated objectives'
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The absence of a dedicated minister for transport would be a contradiction with the stated objectives," the organisation said, citing as examples the "greening of bus and coach fleets", the "commissioning of metropolitan regional express networks (SERM)" and the "implementation of the single ticket" for transport.
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The climate emergency does not wait and its pre-eminence requires a minister who is able to continue the dialogue with all mobility stakeholders," insists the Gart, which had already shared its dismay in June 2022 at the absence of a minister for the sector. The appointment of Clément Beaune, Minister Delegate for Transport in the previous government and so far not renewed, only took place on 4 July, more than two months after Emmanuel Macron's re-election as President of the Republic.