• “There is a lack of drivers, a shortage which prevents operators from carrying out the offer defined by Ile-de-France Mobilité and arouses the anger of travelers”, noted this Tuesday morning Valérie Pécresse during a press conference.

  • The main black spot is the RATP bus service in Paris and the inner suburbs, which shows around 25% unrealized supply.

  • The president of the Ile-de-France region announced a series of measures to recruit drivers, including a bonus of 2,000 euros for training in these trades.

  • For its part, the Solidaires union denounces a deterioration in working conditions which are scaring away employees, particularly in view of the opening up to competition.

RER removed, buses that are desperately waiting ... The start of the school year is not happy for users of public transport in the Ile-de-France.

This is why Valérie Pécresse brought together this Tuesday morning as president of Ile-de-France mobilities (IDFM) the operators under contract to find out what was going on and also put pressure on them.

"There is a lack of drivers, a shortage that prevents them from carrying out the offer defined by IDFM and arouses the anger of travelers", noted Valérie Pécresse from the outset.

She quickly evacuated the question of the railway which "should be settled from next week" despite a delicate start to the month, particularly on lines D and C of the RER.

On the latter, "from next week, 6 trains will be restored", indicated the president of IDFM.

And in fact, only 50 drivers are missing out of 2,650, according to SNCF data.

On the metro side, things are on the right track since “we are at 96% completion of the IDFM offer,” says Valérie Pécresse.

The RATP is in the hard

But concerning the buses, it is another salad, knowing that the situation is different according to the territories and the operators.

“We have little impacted networks and a network in very great difficulty, that of Paris-small crown operated by the RATP, notes the president of IDFM.

On average excluding RATP, it is -2% of the achievement compared to the objectives.

On the other hand, in September, the RATP is at 26% of unrealized supply (ONR) in its sector, that is to say one bus in four which does not circulate.

And the situation should remain complicated throughout the fall.


According to the carrier, it has deteriorated sharply since the summer when we were “only” 10% ONR.

According to RATP figures reported by Valérie Pécresse, in this 26%, there are 17% linked to the shortage of drivers, 6% structural losses linked to the difficulty of circulating in Paris and its suburbs and 3% of social causes. and strikes.

The shortage, which is the main explanatory factor, is generated by recruitment difficulties – the RATP wants to hire 1,500 drivers but it is blocked at 700 – and numerous work stoppages.

Valérie Pécresse also insisted on “the 500 fraudulent work stoppages and 130 dismissal procedures in progress in connection with this at the RATP”.

“26,000 euros gross for a young person starting up”

With regard to recruitment problems, the RATP wants to "double down", in particular with "a major communication campaign in the first half of October to attract more drivers", "partnerships with Pole emploi, jobs dating, and in some centers a co-optation bonus between 300 and 500 euros”, indicates Jean-Yves Leclercq, financial director of the RATP and future interim director, after the departure of Catherine Guillouard.

For him, the job remains “very attractive with prospects”, or “26,000 euros gross for a young person starting out”.

He added that the RATP recently “increased the value of the point by 2%” and “pays bonuses on the lowest salaries”.

Announcements that make you laugh yellow Alexis Louvet, co-secretary general of Solidaires RATP.

"This is only the third increase in 10 years and that of August represents only 1/5th of inflation", he denounces.

For him, this situation has been in the making for a long time and contrary to what Valérie Pécresse repeated on Tuesday, has everything to do with the opening up to competition in 2025. “We are being prepared for privatization by telling us that we are too expensive that you have to make an effort, which leads to collective depression", worries Alexis Louvet.

Call for strike Thursday

Added to this is the modification of working conditions on August 1st in preparation for the opening up to competition and which means that drivers have to “work more to earn less”.

According to him, this translates into a growing number of resignations and sick leaves in cascade: “Of all the 17,000 employees of the bus network, there are 2,000 sick leaves.

This link between privatization of lines and lack of personnel had already been raised by Fabien Guillaud Bataille, regional elected official (PCF) who sits on the transport commission, the previous week.

According to him, “the forcible transformation of a public law employment contract into a private contract led to 200 resignations”.

Valérie Pécresse brushes aside this causal link and calls for "the general mobilization of Ile-de-France residents in the bus driver profession" with a whole battery of measures: compliance by operators with the regional specifications of social requirements to ensure the quality of life at work , a bonus of 2,000 euros for all those who engage in these driver training courses and the opening of a CAP for road transport and passenger drivers from the next school year... The president of IDFM also announces that she is "calling on drivers pensioners in combined employment/retirement” to compensate for staff shortages.

It also asks “the government to take its part” by reducing in particular the administrative delays for a driver to be able to take the wheel, in particular the delay in issuing the permit.

Finally, she denounced an "abusive use of the right to strike" which "disorganizes the RATP service".

Who has not finished being disorganized since a call for a national strike was relayed by Solidaires and the RATP for this Thursday for a return to working conditions before August and a salary increase of 300 euros net.

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  • Paris

  • Valerie Pécresse

  • RATP

  • Ile-de-France

  • RATP strike

  • Bus

  • Public transport