“Without the car, we are nothing”, the north-west of Tours in the blind spot

A majority of solo drivers, heavy goods vehicles, a handful of Rémi buses, a few taxis… Daily scene on the RD959, which links Tours to Château-la-Vallière, in the north-west of Tours. The inhabitants live there with the impression of being stuck somewhere between Tours, Angers (Maine-et-Loire) and Le Mans (Sarthe).

“If they take away our license after 80 years, we will die”

“Without the car, we are nothing. We are dependent to get bread, go to the doctor, go shopping… The worst is that it has always been like this”regret Jacqueline and Claude Boileau, 76 and 84 years old. The couple, who met in the town of Souvigné, have lived in Savigné-sur-Lathan since 1968.

“As long as I can drive, I’m fine. If they take away our license after 80 years, we'll die.”Jacqueline gets annoyed. Claude can no longer drive. “If there were the train, we would take it, he assures. They left the railway tracks of Savigné-sur-Lathan, Souvigné and Sonzay to rot. »

A little further on, Vincent, one of the few to travel on foot in the town, is returning from daycare with his son. “It’s true that we feel far from everything, he shares. I don't know how seniors do it. Often, I see people hitchhiking to join the shuttle to Tours from Château-la-Vallière. It takes 1 hour 15 minutes, it's very long. »

“It’s a budget”

Employee of a metropolitan company, the young father has opted for 100% teleworking. A question of comfort and finances. “Before, I went to Tours three times a week, contextualise Vincent. You have to count on a tank and a half, it's a budget. » How does he envisage mobility for his son? It's still early to ask the question.

“When you buy a house here, you don’t think about your children later. Every day, young people complain about the insufficient transport offerjudges the only trader in a neighboring town. The nearest train station is Langeais, 22 km away. They have to go to high school in Tours and it is always difficult to plan for an apprenticeship or training. »

Indeed, mobility is “a real obstacle” for young people, “especially after 14 years”specifies Alexandre Gauron, the director of Agora, the socio-cultural association of Langeais which covers twenty-eight municipalities. “After middle school, they are attached to Chinon for high school. We know very well that long days contribute to dropping out”he analyzes.

One of the first concerns of young people, of people in general. “Public transport does not meet all our needs. Solidarity transport is the intention, but it is not ideal either. There is a lack of connections between rural areas”continues Alexandre Gauron. As for the Tours-Langeais line, “this is not a panacea”.

Among his colleagues, “very little” take the train: “Often the schedules don’t work out. » What does he expect from the future metropolitan regional express service (Serm)? Not much. “When we see that it’s going to take years just for Fondettes, it’s scary,” he concedes.

A dynamic of progress

Further north, in Saint-Paterne-Racan, Mayor Éric Lapleau views this project favorably: “The Tours-Le Mans line is still the least well served. It's not perfect, but the dynamic of progress is there. For years, we saw trains passing by that didn't stop. » Recently, they stop there twice in the morning, twice in the evening.

A rate that Éric Lapleau hopes to see increase, with a train every hour: “I want this Serm project to go to the end. » In the meantime, it can rely on car sharing, thanks to the experimentation from which its community of communes, Gâtine-Racan, benefits. “The only car-sharing car we have is rented twenty-two days a month, which is every day we work! “, he concludes.