Paris (AFP)

We will have to continue to telework "for another few weeks" because public transport will not be able to leave at 100% at the time of deconfinement if we want to ensure the health security of travelers, explains to AFP the president of Ile- de-France Mobilités and the region, Valérie Pécresse, pleading for the compulsory wearing of masks in public transport, under penalty of a fine.

Q: How do you imagine the resumption of traffic during the deconfinement on May 11?

A: Ile-de-France has a particularity, it is that we have 5 million people who in normal times use public transport every day. We do not imagine that from May 11, transport will restart 100%. And even if they restarted 100%, we can not imagine circulating the Ile-de-France in the same conditions as normal.

We will have to continue to telework massively, for another few weeks after the end of confinement. Because we have to avoid overuse of our public transport, there has to be much less than the usual 5 million passengers.

SNCF and RATP offer 50% of traffic on May 11. I asked them to do more on the most saturated lines. I am thinking of RER A, RER B, RER D, tram 1, line 13 (of the metro), line 1 ...

All these lines which cross popular territories in which the inhabitants do not necessarily have teleworkable stations. We see it especially in the buses of Seine-Saint-Denis, we need reinforcement because the inhabitants have to move to go to work.

The pace of recovery in transport will also depend on the pace of recovery of schools. The operators, RATP, SNCF, Optile (for buses in the outer suburbs) have a high rate of absenteeism among their agents today, almost 40%, because a good part of these agents keep children.

Q. Will travelers be required to wear a mask?

A. I asked the government to make it mandatory to wear a mask in public transport at the time of deconfinement. It is absolutely essential to ensure the health security of the people we are going to transport.

Today, there are 500,000 people in public transport where we usually transport 5 million. We are less than 10% of travelers. If May 11 returns just 30%, it will be three times more crowded than today. However, already on certain lines, travelers are worried about distances, proximity, etc.

If we want to restore travelers' confidence in public transport, it is absolutely necessary to set up flow management measures.

It will be complex and it goes through the mandatory mask, with verbalization. The French have self-discipline and good citizenship, but nevertheless it gets better with a little control.

In addition, operators must also embark on policies of cleaning and disinfection, incommensurate with what they usually do.

I also asked that all the shops in the stations and stations be able to sell masks and gel.

Q. What alternatives to teleworking or public transport?

A. Ile-de-France residents will take back their car, but I also think, given the season, that the bicycle, which proved its effectiveness during the strike (in December and January against pension reform, note), can also do the job. 'subject to increased use, and be an alternative to public transport at the time of deconfinement.

Before the strike, there were around 400,000 bicycle users per day commuting to work. I think we can set a very ambitious goal, but in my view achievable - because it is spring, because the weather is good - to double the number of people on bikes, and therefore to pass from 400,000 to 800,000 post-containment.

To achieve this objective, significant work will have to be launched (...) to be able to secure the cycle paths. The region is ready to design provisional cycle paths on certain axes, in agreement with the cities, the inter-municipalities and the departments.

We can rebalance the flows, in any case during the summer period.

Interview by Jean LIOU.

© 2020 AFP