The European metropolis of Lille voted Friday evening for the establishment of a bonus paid to motorists who give up driving alone at rush hour on the most congested axes.

"We are targeting auto-soloists", underlined the president of the MEL Damien Castelain.

Will be eligible for the bonus of two euros per trip those who change means of transport, but also those who start carpooling, and those who shift their trips to less intense hours.

Inspired by Rotterdam

Presented as an "anti-traffic jam asset" to relieve congestion in particular on the A1 and the A23 in the morning and evening, this "ecobonus" inspired by a measure observed by elected officials from Lille in 2015 in Rotterdam, is a "first in France “, according to the community.

The measure, which is based on an automated license plate reading system, has long come up against the protection of personal data, preventing the storage of these numbers without the consent of motorists.

Motorists are therefore called upon to volunteer from the spring of 2023, and their daily journeys will be followed by reading the plates.

Then 5,000 of them will be enrolled in the summer of 2023, for a first nine-month program.

Each avoided car trip declared on an application will entitle you to a bonus of two euros per trip within the limit of 80 euros per month.

“Very expensive paid”?

The MEL hopes for example a reduction in traffic of 750 vehicles out of the 12,000 present on the A1 in the morning at rush hour, she said in a press release.

The device, with an overall duration of three years, should cost around nine million euros.

The environmental advisers voted against, believing that such an investment "to dissuade, in the best case, 5,000 motorists from taking their car" was "very expensive to pay".

Lille elected official Mélissa Camara called for the development of “effective alternatives” to the car instead.

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  • Lille

  • Hauts-de-France

  • A1

  • TOLL

  • Environment

  • Bonuses

  • Car

  • Highway