Île-de-France bus users without a Navigo Liberté + pass will likely have to buy two tickets at 2.50 euros each to make a single trip.
We already knew the price of the metro ticket… we now know the price of the bus. In Île-de-France from July 20 to September 8, for people without a Navigo Liberté + pass or Easy card, the price of a ticket purchased on a bus will be doubled, and will go from 2.50 euros to 5 euros.
A significantly prohibitive price for Ile-de-France users of the bus network, as described by Colombe, met in a bus stop near Montparnasse station in Paris.
“Already here, the current price is enormous for short journeys. But here I am clearly not going to take the bus for that price. We will walk, we will take the bikes, we will find other solutions but we is not going to give in,” describes this passenger.
“It’s crazy, as Parisians, I think that we are already involved enough in the organization of these Games and we do not have to endure this increase in prices again,” agrees Olivia.
The FNAUT (National Federation of Transport User Associations) of Île-de-France is alarmed by this increase in tickets and its consequences for users, particularly from an economic point of view. As for the CGT-RATP, the organization assures that it has not been consulted and specifies that it learned the news via an announcement from Île-de-France Mobilités.
“For us, increasing the price of tickets does not correspond at all to our public service values. And what’s more, for a global event like this, it can be perceived as a form of racketeering, whether against tourists or even users”, deplores Sami Kennouzi, CGT-RATP secretary.
Two tickets and worries
For management reasons, the RATP does not provide a special ticket at this price for the Games. Several hypotheses are currently being discussed, and the one that holds the string is surprising. Users would have to buy two tickets at 2.50 euros to make a single journey. The two keys will have to be validated at the same time, which could lead to confusion.
“It’s still an oddity. Clearly the user who is going to pay five euros for his bus trip is not necessarily going to be very happy. And what’s more, he will have to understand why we are giving him, why he must validate two tickets while he travels alone”, says Marc Pélissier, president of the FNAUT of Île-de-France, on BFM Paris Île-de-France.
Unions and user associations are calling for the implementation of a QR code to, at a minimum, correctly inform people who will use Ile-de-France buses and try to protect drivers.
The RATP “recommends purchasing your ticket before July 20”
The situation could potentially be divisive from the point of view of bus drivers, who fear that riders and tourists will feel cheated and become angry with them.
In the meantime, user associations strongly urge tourists and regular users of the Ile-de-France bus network to buy their tickets in advance so as not to pay full price for the ticket.
Advice shared by the RATP itself, which confirms with BFM Paris Île-de-France that “for occasional travelers, Île-de-France Mobilités recommends purchasing their transport ticket before July 20, either on a Easy card, or on Liberté+, so as not to be impacted by these increases”.
“Note that sales on board buses represent an additional solution for our travelers wishing to take transport and represent less than 2% of sales,” concludes the authority.
Bettina De Guglielmo, Paul Guianvarc’h, William Helle, with Alexis Lalemant
