“If we do nothing, the Navigo pass could increase to more than 120 euros per month in the years to come”

CIt’s no secret that public transport in the Ile-de-France region is experiencing unprecedented funding needs. And this is not just the consequence of a particular context after two years of reduced attendance linked to Covid-19, or a single side effect of the rise in energy and raw material prices.

Even if this obviously has significant consequences, the financial difficulties that transport authorities in general, and Ile-de-France Mobilités in particular, are experiencing today are above all structural.

Abandonment of thermal vehicles

In view of the acceleration of climate change and the fight against pollution, air pollution in particular, everything calls for an accelerated transition towards zero-carbon mobility, in particular through the abandonment of the ” all-car” and thermal vehicles. And this is particularly true in dense areas such as the Greater Paris metropolis.

This transition can only take place if we guarantee a very high-quality, local public transport service that is accessible to everyone. Yes, the decarbonization of mobility and the end of dependence on the car will go through public transport. It is an understatement to say that the improvement of their operation as well as their development should constitute an absolute priority.

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In Ile-de-France, we already have some of the data on the table: the opening of the new Grand Paris Express lines will generate a very sharp increase in operating costs over the next few years (+ 1 billion euros to be expected ). If we want to make public transport the cornerstone of low-carbon mobility policies, we must very clearly pose the question of who should finance them.

If we don’t do anything to cash in on the increased costs, the Navigo pass could increase to more than 120 euros per month in the years to come. It is obviously untenable! For us, it’s very clear: First, to guarantee massive and easy access to public transport, we must maintain the most attractive price possible for all users who make the effort to use it.

An ecological and socially redistributive arsenal

Then, it is a question of definitively ratifying the logic of the “polluter pays”, by puncturing the activities generating nuisances, pollution and/or high carbon emissions, to ensure the long-term financing of a virtuous and useful activity.

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