The French adapt to the curfew at 6 p.m., and transport too.
In Ile-de-France, the "rush hour" has shifted to around 5.15pm to 5.30pm, while carriers have observed, with concern, a general decline in public transport frequentation since the start of the year.
Has the generalization of the curfew from 6 p.m. throughout France had repercussions on transport?
According to the most recent updated data, the evening rush hour has logically advanced by one hour, at least in the Paris region.
The peak in attendance, until then around 6.15 p.m., is now around 5.15 p.m.-5.30 p.m., Ile de France Mobilités noted.
To respond to this new "hyper peak in the evening", the transport organizing authority asked RATP to adapt its offer accordingly, with more subways and buses starting at 3.30pm.
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Continuity for staggered hours
Until 6 p.m., transport ridership climbs by 15%, before dropping sharply from 7 p.m.
However, the transport networks do not close earlier than before because it is necessary to ensure a service for those who work in shift.
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"We have reduced the amplitude quite little, in particular because the challenge is to always continue to serve health establishments which often have staggered schedules with people who go out late at night", recalls Frédéric Baverez, General Manager France from Kéolis.
"What we did was reduce the frequency to adapt to the fact that there are objectively fewer people" at these times, he explains.
A drop in attendance since the start of the year
More generally, Kéolis has noticed a drop in attendance since the start of 2021. In Nancy, for example, since the beginning of 2021, transport has accounted for 65% fewer passengers compared to the previous year.
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A lasting concern confirmed by Transdev, a multinational transport group.
All the operators are in the process of thinking about reducing the offer.
One example among others of lines that could be reduced: the buses that serve empty universities for lack of students.
Recourse to the long-term partial activity scheme is also envisaged.