“I know it caused a lot of discussion.
» Valérie Pécresse returned this Monday morning to a controversial decision: the almost doubling of the price of a single metro ticket during the Olympic Games.
The president (LR) of the Île-de-France region invited the media to a press conference around the legacy of this event.
An opportunity to try to reassure Ile-de-France residents about the functioning of transport this summer... But also about their prices.
Last November, the announcement of the surge in the T+ ticket to 4 euros between July 20 and September 8 sparked many outraged reactions.
“
So are these games 100% accessible by public transport?
Metros and buses reserved for the richest?
», had notably mocked David Belliard, deputy (EELV) to the mayor of Paris in charge of transport.
No change for holders of an annual or monthly Navigo pass
Criticisms to which Valérie Pécresse was keen to respond once again.
According to her, “this dissuasive price” would be part of an assumed strategy “to avoid the embolism of the counters”.
“It is set at 4 euros precisely so that no one buys it,” insists the woman who also chairs Île-de-France Mobilités.
So how can you avoid emptying your wallet to travel this summer?
Those who hold an annual or monthly Navigo pass will not see any change.
“Their prices will not increase,” recalls Valérie Pécresse.
As for Ile-de-France residents who travel occasionally, the elected official invites them to subscribe “right now” to the Navigo Liberté + pass.
Read alsoJO Paris 2024: to escape the “Olympic” increases in transport, join the Liberté + service
After free online registration, users are charged the following month based on the trips they have made.
Each journey costs 1.73 euros, the equivalent of the price of tickets when purchased in books of ten.
Connections with buses, trams and RER are available in Paris.
“We currently have 430,000 Liberté + subscribers,” continues Valérie Pécresse.
However, we know that 4 million Ile-de-France residents use transport occasionally.
So we have two months to convince 3,570,000 people to subscribe!
» “Those who are not on Liberté + are those who want to pay more,” she adds with a touch of irony.
“Do not leave an Olympic debt to the Ile-de-France residents”
Be careful though, this formula is not suitable for all types of journeys and travelers.
It works on metro lines, including in the inner suburbs.
On the other hand, it is limited to inner Paris for the RER.
Users who wish, for example, to go to the Stade de France by RER B or D from Paris will need to have a dedicated “origin-destination” ticket.
Initially expected for 2024, the extension of Liberté + to the whole of Île-de-France will ultimately not be available before “January 2025”, as Valérie Pécresse announced in the fall.
Another possibility for Ile-de-France residents who wish to avoid paying 4 euros for tickets: anticipate and buy transport tickets before July 20.
For visitors, a specific Paris 2024 pass has also been put in place.
It will cost 16 euros per day and will allow unlimited use of transport.
A rate which will decrease to reach 70 euros per week, or 10 euros per day.
Also read: Everything you need to know about transport in Paris and Île-de-France during the Games
“It’s a package that will also include direct access from the airports,” emphasizes Valérie Pécresse.
It’s practical, it can be purchased online.
» “It’s really the right solution,” insists the elected official.
These Paris 2024 passes can be purchased from May, via the Paris 2024 public transport application available in 6 languages, on Android and Apple smartphones.
A price of 70 euros per week which remains much higher than the usual Navigo Week package at €30.75.
This title will also be completely suspended from July 20 to September 8.
The president of the Ile-de-France region justifies these temporary price increases by the additional cost generated by the additional 15% offer deployed this summer.
An additional bill estimated at around 250 million euros.
Objective hammered out by Valérie Pécresse: “not to leave an Olympic debt to the Ile-de-France residents”.