Monday evening, the elected officials of Morlaix Community voted unanimously in favor of free public transport.
In total, 26 municipalities are concerned in a territory where travel is still often done by car.
The measure will cost the community 650,000 euros, which hopes to increase attendance by 20%.
“You dreamed of it… Morlaix Communauté did it!
".
It is through this small, somewhat triumphant outing that the northern Finistère urban community announced the free use of all public transport at the start of the school year.
A strong measure which was approved Monday evening in council after a year of reflection.
According to
Le Télégramme
, the vote was followed by loud applause from the 51 elected officials present.
Two years after putting the left back at the head of the municipality of Morlaix, the socialist Jean-Paul Vermot signed his action at the head of the urban community with a strong first act.
On September 1, all public transport, whether daily or school, will be free for everyone on the Linéotim network, which circulates in the 26 municipalities of Morlaix Community.
On social networks, this announcement was unanimously welcomed by the inhabitants, who underlined “a great initiative” and “a good committed act”.
This choice was mainly made to counter a tough statistic.
In the territory, 85% of trips are made alone and by car, while 75% of the inhabitants of the territory also work there, as
Ouest-France
recalls .
With this choice of free, elected officials hope to increase bus attendance by 20%.
Formerly led by ex-minister Marilyse Lebranchu, the community wishes to "send a powerful message" and "take its full place in the fight against global warming", announced the vice-president for mobility Roger Héré, quoted by
Le Télégramme
.
An additional cost of 650,000 euros
The measure is obviously not neutral in financial terms and should cost 650,000 euros more per year to the community, which was already paying nearly five million euros per year for its Linéotim network.
Already anticipated in the budget, free admission will have no impact on local taxation.
This historic decision was accompanied by 26 other strategic orientations, including a significant reinforcement of the allocation of bonuses for the purchase of electrically assisted bicycles.
In Brittany, several communities have already opted for free access to their public transport network.
This is the case in Vitré, Dinan or Carhaix.
For the past two years, the region has offered totally free public transport for those under 26 in the summer.
In France, the first city to have adopted total free is Compiègne, and this since 1975. In recent years, several cities have done the same such as Dunkirk, Calais or Niort.
In Nantes, public transport is free on weekends.
In Montpellier, Lille or Paris, they are for those under 18.
Rennes has chosen free admission for children under 12.
Company
World Bike Day: Brittany divides the price for boarding your bike on its trains by three
reindeer
Rennes: "It's a kid's dream"... At the adult cycling school, you don't just learn to pedal
Company
Free
Public transport
Bus
reindeer
Brittany