The countdown to avoid a surge in Navigo prices has begun. This Thursday, a Senate committee is due to debate an amendment aimed at raising the rate of the mobility payment (VM). This transport tax, indexed to the payroll of companies with more than 11 employees, represents more than half of the budget of Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) (5.3 billion euros, out of 10.6). Any change requires the approval of parliament.
In order to alert parliamentarians, two associations of Ile-de-France users have just sent them a letter. “We allow ourselves to contact you because public transport in Île-de-France is going badly, warn Marc Pélissier, president of FNAUT Île-de-France and Arnaud Bertrand, president of Plus de Trains. There can be no return to normal without first restoring the accounts of Île-de-France Mobilités. While users in the Ile-de-France region have been suffering these degradations for several months, it seems essential to us to maintain reasonable prices”.
The two association leaders recall the plan presented in September by Valérie Pécresse (LR), the president of Île-de-France Mobilités. The transport organizing authority must urgently find 750 million euros to cope with inflation and the fall in its revenue linked to Covid-19. The president asked all contributors to significantly increase their participation, in order to avoid raising the price of the Navigo to 100 euros. Local authorities (region, Paris and Departments) thus increased their contribution by 100 million euros (+7.5%).
Towards a flat rate of 80 or 90 euros?
There remains at least 450 million euros to be distributed between companies, via the mobility payment, and the State. “This public transport rescue plan requires that businesses in the Ile-de-France increase in the same proportion (+ 7.5%, editor’s note) their contribution via the Mobility payment”, plead the users, to achieve a flat rate of around 80 euros. “Without this contribution and without other aid, prices would increase by 20% or more at the start of 2023”, i.e. a Navigo at 90.20 euros.
Finally, the government will have to decide on other Ile-de-France grievances, such as the cancellation of the “Covid debt” (2 billion euros) or the repayment of part of the VAT to finance regional transport. The vote on future tariffs will be adopted at the Île-de-France Mobilités board meeting on December 7.