Getting to the airport in Matoury was not necessarily easy for some users. Private taxi transportation can be expensive. Since July 2024, line 7 of the Agglo bus which has served Matoury since 2017 has been extended to Félix Eboué airport. Six months after the commissioning of this extension, the results are satisfactory.
For the head of the Mobility Service of the CACL (Communauté d'agglomération du Center Littoral) Christelle Célestine, the increase in ridership of line 7 since it was put into service in July 2024 is quite perceptible:
“This airport service has been desired for a long time. Our airport was one of the only ones in Overseas not to be served by public transport. We also did this at the request of airport officials for staff who needed transportation. But this extension also serves the Concorde district. Since then we have observed much higher attendance which exceeds forecasts. In this area, there are schools, new real estate operations and many users use this line. »
The attendance figures speak for themselves. Analysis by semester from 2023 to 2024 watch an increase of 67%. 195,800 passengers in 2023 compared to 327,155 in 2024. An increase which has repercussions throughout the year with in 2023 the transport of 426,628 passengers compared to 632,680 passengers in 2024 which represents an increase in attendance of 48,30%.
“This remains a very positive outcome for us continues Christelle Célestine, because before, there were people who used clandestine transport to get to Félix Eboué and who are now our clients. We have reworked the schedules of rotations that start earlier in the morning to allow them to be on time for work. »
There was a strong need in this area for users who are increasing in number.
Airport director Eric Boisseau Beharn confirms that public transport is regularly used: “We regularly see arriving people with their suitcases or departing passengers with their luggage at the bus stop. We also have staff who use this mode of transport. » But this stop which is the terminus can sometimes be deserted: “The bus runs every half hour and depending on the timetable, it can be empty on the way there or on the way back. In the morning between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m., there is much less use than in the afternoon with flight arrivals and departures. »
And to emphasize that this bus line complements the service provided by taxis. The latter are generally used by other customers who, in any case, would not travel by public transport, such as businessmen for example. And to conclude: “These two modes of transport coexist without difficulty at the airport. »
The Cayenne-airport line has 9 buses but, if necessary, they can be assigned to line 10 which connects Matoury to Rémire-Montjoly.
For fleet renewal, CACL provides buses with facilities for luggage storage.
There is still a downside to this transport, traffic slowdowns due to work on the RN2, on the Matourienne which increases travel time. There are therefore inevitably delays but the regularity of the rotations is there: “It’s a line on which we obtain one of the strongest regularities. The reliability rate is 92% in 2024 and it is the busiest line in the CACL network. »
