- Bus and tram traffic resumed on Monday morning in Bordeaux, after a traffic stop on Sunday.
- The drivers had exercised their right of withdrawal due to a suspicion of coronavirus among the staff.
- The network operates with degraded frequencies, and a new transport plan adapted to a very declining attendance could be quickly implemented.
After the suspicion of a case of coronavirus, in a driver of the TBM network, the drivers of Keolis Bordeaux “exercised their right of withdrawal on Sunday. No tram has run. An agreement was reached Sunday evening between the unions and the management, for a resumption this Monday morning, but in degraded mode since the network adapts to a frequent drop in attendance. 20 Minutes interviewed the director of Keolis Bordeaux Métropole, Eric Moinier, on Monday.
How is the situation on the transport network this Monday?
It is going better than yesterday for sure, since the network has resumed. What was important for us was to resume service this morning, so as not to put in difficulty people who need to go to work, like the hospital staff. We are off to a good start on the adapted transport plan that we prepared on Saturday morning, namely an offer that is still relatively wide since all of our lines are running, but with a slightly degraded frequency. New processes are also in place to reassure our employees.
Unions have estimated that Keolis management had not taken the measure of the phenomenon, especially after the case of suspected coronavirus in a driver. Did we have to reassure everyone this morning?
It was necessary to get people back to work, even if we thought that the initial measures we had taken were sufficient, in particular the cessation of sales on board. But there was still apprehension, and we were more radical. It is important to protect the health of our employees as much as possible, so we deployed heavy artillery to guarantee it.
What are these measures?
After the suspension of the sale of tickets on board, we also decided to suspend the ascent by the front door in the buses, and the segregation of the driver's environment, with either chains or tape, installed at the front of the bus near the driver's station. Our entire fleet is 400 buses, but at the moment there are around 200 buses running on the network. And we also did it on the tram, a measure that is not taken in any network in France. We have closed the front doors, which are very close to the driver's cabin, and we have created an airlock with tape, to avoid contact when drivers are relieved, if there are ever passengers crowded in this place of paddle.
What about hygiene?
It is reinforced cleaning, with emphasis on the driver's environment and the grab bars. There is also a cleaning of the driving position during the shifts, which entails quite significant logistics, and slightly longer stops during shifts. In addition, the cleaning frequencies are reinforced in different sites where there are important changes, such as Quinconces, Saint-Jean or Stalingrad.
There are fewer people in transport, but in some trains we saw people crowding this morning. How do you deal with this situation? Is there any advice to remind users?
We must remember the general barrier measures, namely as far as possible not to get in touch with other travelers, and that they wash their hands. People do it I think. But attendance has dropped sharply since this morning with all establishments being closed.
Are you already working on an even more degraded transport plan?
Yes we do. In particular due to the absence of staff for childcare reasons that we will be communicated from Wednesday. And then the needs of the customers are likely to decrease further, because the activity will evolve downwards. It will be up to us to calibrate which lines remain vital for the activities that are still open. This is what we are looking at right now.
Regarding the case of suspected coronavirus in a driver, where are we?
It is not confirmed. There are a total of two or three cases of suspected business, but they have not been tested, and there are no confirmed cases. On the other hand, there are procedures in the event of a confirmed case, to redo the chain of all the places they have passed to disinfect these places, and return the rolling stock to the depot for total disinfection. It is a very strict procedure.
Bordeaux
Coronavirus in Bordeaux: Disinfected cabins, adapted schedules ... The TBM network protects its drivers and passengers
- Aquitaine
- Tram
- Coronavirus
- Health
- Transport
- Bordeaux