“For them, it’s a double punishment” denounces the opposition: tram and bus will cost more for residents outside the Montpellier metropolis

Buses and trams will be more expensive at the start of the school year for non-metropolitan residents. Midi Libre – MICHAEL ESDOURRUBAILH

On September 1, the ticket will increase from 1.60 € at 1.90 €, and the booklet of 10 trips from 10 to 15 €, for all those who do not benefit from the Free Pass. This does not fail to make Alenka Doulain react.

Since December 21, public transport has been free for the 500,000 inhabitants of the Montpellier metropolis, which has become the largest community in Europe to make this choice. But buses and trams continue to charge for all others.

These prices will even increase on September 1, as voted by the metropolitan council on July 9. The single ticket will increase from 1.60 € at 1.90 €, and the book of 10 tickets from 10 to 15 €.

During the council, Alenka Doulain, president of the Mupes group, deplored these increases intended for non-metropolitan residents, believing that they " fuel the territorial divide ."

According to her, Since December 21, public transport has been free for the 500,000 inhabitants of the Montpellier metropolitan area, which has become the largest community in Europe to make this choice. But buses and trams remain chargeable for everyone else. These fares will even increase on September 1, as voted by the metropolitan council on July 9. The single ticket will increase from €1.60 to 1.90 €, and the book of 10 tickets from 10 to 15 €.

What it will cost non-metropolitans

Single ticket

From September 1, "the single ticket of the Tam network will increase from 1.60 € to 1.90 €, thus establishing itself in the average of the metropolises, explains the community. The validity period has already increased from 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes, where other networks restrict usage to one hour or one way."< /p>

10 ticket booklet

Revalued from 10 to 15 €, "it will always remain among the cheapest of the major French networks."

P + tram package

"The price of P + TRAM packages is not increasing and will be maintained at 5.20 €, while offering more service with unlimited access for all car occupants to the entire Tam network for a whole day. This is an attractive price compared to what is charged on all French networks."

"Following feedback from users, the Metropolis will now allow holders of a Free Pass to access P+ TRAM car parks, even without the M’Ticket application on their smartphone, with their card without contact, subject to a specific procedure with TaM."

New titles

"Many titles will be created: from the 4-hour ticket (3.50 €) to the 7-day subscription (20 & ;euro;)."

Véloplage

This summer service remains free for Metropolitan residents with a Free Pass but it has become chargeable for non-Metropolitan residents since July 1.

During the council, Alenka Doulain, president of the Mupes group, deplored these increases intended for non-metropolitan residents, believing that they "fuel the territorial divide."

According to her, "free transport only benefits residents of the heart of the Metropolis, leaving those from neighboring areas, often workers here, to pay increasingly high prices (especially since) most pay the mobility payment in their company. For them it's a double punishment.

The opposition elected official did not fail to make the connection with the very high scores of the National Rally, in the European and legislative elections, around Montpellier. "This type of decision undoubtedly creates RN vote", deplores the elected official.

"With 38% increase in the cost of energy, and even 50% since 2022, all major metropolises have changed their price scale, replied to him Julie Frêche, vice-president of the Metropolis responsible for mobility. A large part of the cost of the ticket is still financed by the Metropolis. For the ticket or the ten journeys, we remain the cheapest metropolis in France for non-Metropolitans or tourists when we reduce the cost of the ticket to the hour."

"The price of occasional transport tickets had not increased since 2016, despite inflation and the investments more recently made to increase the supply", also recalls the Metropolis.

“Stigmatized journeys”

“The forgotten people of the Republic”. This is the title of a work by André Broto, a specialist in road mobility. He is interested in residents of the outskirts or rural areas who travel a few dozen kilometers to work in big cities every day.

"92% of them travel by car. Their journeys are stigmatized because they are polluting and inefficient. Mobility policies have taken into account short trips – in urban areas – and long – across the country – but not those who are intermediate. However, since the 1990s, the number of hours of minimum wage required to buy a car has continued to increase. With the rise in fuel prices and geopolitical problems, they are the first to suffer from the rising cost of living. Especially since for several decades, jobs, businesses, administrative services and culture have been concentrated in the city, which has led to additional travel. All this contributes to aggravating the territorial divide. Since the yellow vests, we have understood that these “forgotten” were numerous and needed to be taken care of."

"We work with eight intermunicipalities"

This Tuesday, July 9, the Minister of Transport, Patrice Vergriete, signed the decree confirming that the Montpellier Metropolis is certified under the Metropolitan Regional Express Service (Serm), initially called “RER metropolitan”.

The objective of Serm is to improve service between a central city and its peri-urban area by strengthening the rail offer, and supplementing it if necessary with other modes.

"What we have on the east, with clocked TER, we must have on the west towards Sète but it will be long with the LGV financing, underlines Michaël Delafosse. Towards the north, a major issue, we are going to deploy express buses. This approach allows us to think about our transport offer on the scale of the large living area. We proposed to EPCIs (public intermunicipal cooperation establishments) and municipalities to join by covering 60% of the cost of transport, which does not would leave only 40% payable by their users."

"For a year, we have been working with the eight neighboring intercommunalities which correspond to the perimeter of Serm", added the vice-president Julie Frêche.

I subscribe to read more