A new alarm signal just eight months before the Paris Olympic Games. Ile-de-France Mobilités (IDFM), the authority in charge of public transport in the region, deplored “a further worrying deterioration of the transport service”, during the publication this Tuesday, December 5 of the regularity figures for the month of October.
Valérie Pécresse, president of IDFM, reminded the RATP of “the need to get back on track”, while only four metro lines “have satisfactory results”. The SNCF is also called to order since three RER lines are considered “problematic”.
The CEO of RATP Jean Castex “was nevertheless committed” to re-establishing a correct transport offer “from this summer”, insists IDFM in its press release. “All lines must return, as quickly as possible, to their contractual objectives of punctuality,” urges the transport organizing authority.
Five lines in great difficulty
According to IDFM, five lines – lines 3, 6, 7, 8 and 13 – are in great difficulty “with peak hour punctuality less than 85%”. “These are rates of irregularity that did not exist before Covid,” deplores the authority. In addition, line 12, whose results had nevertheless recovered, “fell back below 90%” punctuality. Only lines 1, 5, 11 and 14 are satisfactory, while lines 2, 4, 9 and 10 are judged “close to the objective”. These results are far from reassuring eight months before the Olympic Games, when the price of a metro ticket will rise to 4 euros during the Olympics.
IDFM attributes these difficulties in the underground network primarily to “unavailability of drivers (absenteeism, illness, etc.)”. For its part, the RATP points out in particular the sharp increase in the number of abandoned luggage. An argument refuted by IDFM, according to which the latter are only responsible for 9% of the unrealized offer.
In addition, on certain lines, human resources problems represent “nearly 50% of unrealized production”. On line 8 alone, maintenance recruitment problems, often cited by the RATP, “are responsible for more than 20% of metros that do not run” explains IDFM.
The authority is also concerned about the increase in cases of discomfort due to excessive crowding on certain degraded lines: 10% of trains would be canceled on line 7 due to passenger discomfort.
The RER not spared
On the RER, three lines are singled out: B, C and D. If the RER C is “in recovery”, the lack of drivers leads to the cancellation of too many trains.
On the other hand, RER B and D “remain in difficulty, as in previous months, with results of 85% punctuality”. IDFM has already announced compensation for users of these lines, “reaching one month of Navigo pass”.