Paris (AFP)
The Ile-de-France network of the RATP should not return to its usual attendance for two or three years, said the CEO of the group Catherine Guillouard on Tuesday, judging that the extensions of metro lines currently under construction will help to regain travelers.
"Today, (...) we are at 70% of traffic on weekdays on our networks, and on weekends it can rise to 85 or even 90% on the RER," said Ms. Guillouard on Radio Classique.
The RATP had lost 43% of its attendance last year, with ups and downs depending on successive confinements.
"In the 18-24 months, we could remain at 90% of our usual gauge", noted the boss of the Régie.
"This is again the effect of the crisis, and in particular of three variables which are very, very important for us", she explained: the importance of telework, for which "we will see more clearly (. ..) at the start of the school year ", the absence of tourists, who usually provide 10% of revenue, and the rise of e-commerce, with Parisians going out less to do their shopping.
"Positive factors will counterbalance that," said Ms. Guillouard, starting with "four extensions of (metro) lines to be completed by 2024", namely the 4, 7, 11 and 14. "It will be a counterweight factor. "
"We risk having a dip for a while, but as and when we will relight extensions of lines, we will regain (...) firepower", she summarized .
Catherine Guillouard also refused to comment on the effects of a possible pension reform before the end of Emmanuel Macron's five-year term.
"I believe that this is really the choice of the government, honestly", she said, recalling that her "job" was "to try to find the ways and means so that we do the best possible. our service in all circumstances ".
Traffic was very disrupted during the great strike against the pension reform in December 2019 and January 2020.
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