Between the rise in the price of gasoline and poor ecological awareness, the image of the car is tarnished and alternatives are on the rise. But reality does not always meet needs. Régions de France, Transdev and Ipsos have scrutinized the use and perception of public transport and are publishing this Wednesday, September 27, the results of their barometer of daily mobility in the region with a sample of 11,033 people. As effective levers to make them use the car less, the French spontaneously cite aspects linked to the provision of public transport, such as densification and access to the network, as well as to the quality of service – regularity, punctuality, comfort , security. The question of price is ultimately more secondary with only 11% of respondents considering it decisive in their choice.
Among the services that could change the situation and encourage people to do without the car, 72% of French people cite a higher frequency of use of buses, coaches or trains, 71% better compliance with crossing times, 63% the modernization of public transport lines and 62% better safety on the lines. The question of network density is also crucial: to use a railway station on a daily basis, it would have to be located a maximum of 15 minutes from home; this figure is 11 minutes for a self-service bicycle area, 10 minutes for a tram or metro station and only 7 minutes for a bus or coach stop.
Study (September 27, 2023) on the daily travel of the French
© / IPSOS
The opening to competition of regional trains desired by 1 in 8 French people
This potential appetite for public transport is confirmed by the fact that three-quarters of participants believe that they could use express coach lines – with a high frequency of passage and a good level of comfort – if they were set up between cities, their outskirts and rural areas. Among those surveyed, 26% even said they could take such lines “often”. The opening of regional trains to competition is also viewed favorably by nearly 8 out of 10 people, an opinion that transcends traditional social and political divisions.
However, in the current state of the network, we see that the image of public transport has deteriorated in four years, whether among its users or among those who rarely or never use it: 44% of French people are satisfied with the number of public transport stops close to home, 43% of their comfort, a drop of five points compared to 2019 for these two criteria, 38% of safety on board, a drop of ten points, and 33% of their cost.
To try to strengthen public transport services, Emmanuel Macron announced this Monday that he would release a budget of 700 million euros from 2024 to help the regions finance the construction of 13 metropolitan RERs. A sum considered well below the needs for the oppositions.