Tram line 2 at 50-Otages station in Nantes.

-

F. Brenon / 20Minutes

After a year of growth in 2019 marked by a record of attendance (148.6 million trips), the Semitan experienced a 2020 financial year diametrically opposed.

Like all public transport networks, it is indeed shaken by the health crisis and the concerns of travelers about sharing the same vehicle.

What consequences for the TAN network?

And what are the prospects for the next few years?

Point.

Where is the attendance?

At the end of 2020, just before the implementation of the 6 p.m. curfew, overall traffic to the TAN network was estimated at 75% of last year's level, according to management.

During rush hour, the ratio sometimes climbs to nearly 90% on some tram lines.

If he does not "rejoice" in this "difficult" situation, Pascal Bolo, president of Semitan and vice-president of the metropolis in charge of finances, considers that the Nantes network "limits the breakage" and gets by. even “better than the average for large urban networks”.

Attendance was obviously much lower during the two confinements, "especially in the spring".

Conversely, the start of the September school year was marked by a jump (around 85% of usual attendance).

Subscriber volume has also eroded little.

What financial consequences?

Ticket revenue suffered from the lack of travelers and fell by 24 million euros in 2020. A loss to which must be added 3.5 million euros of additional expenditure for reinforced cleaning and the distribution of hydroalcoholic gel.

Not to mention a decrease in the transport mobility payment, supplemented by companies, estimated at 15 million euros to the detriment of the metropolis.

" This is unheard of.

This is something that threatens the economy of public transport.

All the major operators are suffering enormously ”, worries Pascal Bolo.

Fortunately, the TAN has, at the same time, saved 12 million euros thanks to the short-time working measures and the missed kilometers.

Nantes Métropole also obtained a repayable advance of 38 million euros from the State to "temporarily relieve the accounts".

What impact on the current service?

“Adjustments” have been made since the spring of 2020. Frequencies have been reduced according to “travel restrictions”, the end of service times for trams and chronobus have been lowered on weekends.

However, no major upheavals to report.

Several chronobus lines were even reinforced, as planned, in the last quarter.

“We have to make adaptations because there is no point in spending money to run empty buses.

But our will is to keep the offer at the highest level.

We know very well that if we reduce it, a vicious circle would take place.

"

How will 2021 go?

“We must regain the trust of users, insists Pascal Bolo.

Despite appearances, it is not in public transport that we are most infected, quite the contrary.

The precautions taken by operators and travelers ensure that the virus does not circulate.

This issue of trust is extremely important because we can clearly see that the deferral of attendance is mainly in favor of the car.

The president recognizes, however, that professionals in the sector are counting on "three to four years" for a return to normal attendance.

In the meantime, the increases in supply planned for September, in particular for the southwest of the city, are "not called into question".

Free public transport at weekends, promised after the municipal elections, will also “take effect at the start of the school year in September”.

At the cost of a "more complicated economic equation, let's not hide it from ourselves."

Longer-term development projects threatened?

The question arises with insistence in Nantes Métropole.

"We are obviously a little in the dark but we do not want to rush to make decisions that we might regret later," said Pascal Bolo.

At this stage, the plans for three new tram lines “are still on the agenda”.

“There is no will to question the strategy.

We must encourage citizens to leave their cars in the garage as much as possible, and this requires developing the service offer.

Our ability to fight against global warming and to make the city more fluid is at stake.

The order for 61 new tram trains for a total amount of 230 million euros has also been confirmed.

The situations of each line, the material needs, will however be "watched very closely".

Nantes

Nantes: The centrality of future tram lines pointed out during the consultation

Nantes

Nantes: In the south-Loire, the two largest park-and-ride facilities in the metropolis

  • Covid 19

  • Tram

  • Semitan

  • Public transport

  • Coronavirus

  • Nantes