- As of May 11, TCL traffic, idling during containment, should gradually resume at 80%.
- To reassure regular users and encourage them to return to the TCL, Sytral has planned a series of health measures.
- Everything is not yet fixed, many questions still framing the progressive deconfinement planned by the government, starting with the wearing of the mask and the return of students to class.
In slow motion since the start of containment, with 48% of the usual traffic provided today over a shorter hourly amplitude (5h - 23h), the TCLs should gradually resume more consistent service from May 11 in Lyon. The president of Sytral, the organizing authority for public transport, Fouziya Bouzerda presented on Wednesday the first measures envisaged during the deconfinement. 20 Minutes explains what is taking shape.
A gradual recovery towards more traffic
From May 11, the traffic of buses, trams, metros and funiculars should gradually resume at 80%, and this for several months. A normal resumption of traffic is not expected before the start of the September school year by the mixed union. For school transport, normally provided in part by special bus lines, nothing is yet fixed, no one currently knowing the government's specific intentions for the return of students to class. For Sytral, the challenge of deconfinement is high and the transport offer that can be offered is one of the essential elements.
After weeks of confinement and rules of social distancing which will be more necessary than ever during deconfinement, it will be a question of avoiding that the usual users do not shun public transport. "The fear is that there will be a report on the car, which before the health crisis represented only a quarter of the trips made in Lyon and Villeurbanne," said Fouziya Bouzerda, who launched an investigation with a panel of users to best plan deconfinement. The objective is to know their expectations beyond May 11 in the TCL and to try to assess the flow of travelers who could reuse public transport when the time comes.
Masks, disinfectant terminals…
To reassure users and encourage their gradual return to the network, which recorded 500 million trips in 2019, Sytral is also relying heavily on barrier measures and health measures. "I do not imagine that the wearing of the mask is not widespread in public transport," said Fouziya Bouzerda, awaiting a decision in this sense from the government. "Generalization will be essential, it will be difficult to organize a real social distancing," she added.
In addition to the fabric masks which should be given by the communities to the inhabitants, according to the announcements made by the town halls, the metropolis and the region, paying mask distributors must be installed on the network, in metro stations and poles of exchanges. Innovative disinfectant terminals are also planned. The first should appear this weekend at Part-Dieu. “It's efficient and very fast. You have nothing to touch. You put your hands underneath and it disinfects and dries you in seconds, ”said the president of Sytral.
Our file on the coronavirus
On the tram lines, hydroalcoholic gel dispensers are also planned. A lot of work is also underway to organize the flow of travelers on the network and thus encourage social distancing as much as possible in the TCL. Special signage will be put in place and agents will be mobilized in large numbers to remind users of the barrier gestures and the rules of protection against the virus.
Protected personnel, disinfected equipment
To strengthen the protection of TCL personnel, several measures are planned. From May 4, all bus drivers will be fitted with masks, buses fitted with protective glass to avoid contact with the drivers. To preserve them, the latter were provided with hydroalcoholic gel a few weeks ago and the climb from the front in the buses was stopped. Like today, tickets cannot be purchased on board. Rolling stock will be disinfected every day as is currently the case, with an increased frequency due to the return of more passengers on the network.
What price for users?
Since March 17, network traffic has collapsed, inevitably, with a fall of 90% observed by Sytral. Faced with the situation, subscriptions have been reimbursed since the start of confinement, in March and April, and free healthcare has been decided. “2,500 transport cards have so far been distributed to them on request,” adds Fouzia Bouzerda. In May, subscriptions will be billed at half price, according to Sytral, whose financial losses following the crisis are colossal.
Beyond the drop in revenues, the additional cost linked to the stoppage of construction sites or the abolition of the transport payment (by companies) will weigh heavily on the finances of the joint union. "We estimate, according to our forecasts for the coming weeks and months, that the losses will be in the range of 70 to 100 million euros. Which is obviously very significant, ”adds Fouzia Bouzerda. Especially when you know that running a network like the TCL costs 1.2 million euros per day…
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