The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis will implement changes in transport pricing policy from September 1, 2026. The tramway line 5 project is progressing.
Campaign promises coming to fruition. Driven by the enthusiasm of the first months of his term, the Metropolitan Council on Monday, June 8 voted in favor of new provisions concerning its public transport, long debated. Transport should therefore be transformed after the summer : complete free travel for certain users, deployment of tramway line 5… Measures long desired by left-wing elected officials and finally adopted this morning.
Free public transport after the summer
From September 1, 2026, the effective date brought forward at the request of the mayor, the metropolitan public transport network will be free for three categories of users:
- People aged 65 and over, taxable or not,
- Metropolitan prison administration staff
- Metropolitan staff at Nice University Hospital (CHU)
Desired and practiced provisionally and sporadically by the previous majority, free transport for seniors was one of the flagship measures of Eric Ciotti’s municipal campaign.
“Extremely important” for Nice’s mayor Eric Ciotti, this decision aims to allow residents to “more easily access public service facilities“, but also to “combat elderly isolation“ and “improve purchasing power“. Free transport for metropolitan staff will also “strengthen the territory’s professional attractiveness“ according to Nice’s mayor.
The project costs 5.5 million euros excluding taxes. 100,000 people will be eligible. A fee of 15 euros must be paid to open any file providing access to a free travel card.
A measure that could be extended to hospital staff outside Nice’s University Hospital if agreements linking their establishment to the Metropolis emerge. The mayor therefore calls for conventions of the same nature to be signed, particularly ahead of the next metropolitan council meeting on June 22.
Tramway line 5 project on track
The new metropolitan majority declared favorable the project for a tramway line 5 by 2028-2030. This line will connect eastern Nice to Drap serving the districts of Bon Voyage, Ariane, and La Trinité.
“A new decisive step in the tramway line project on the Paillon axis” for Eric Ciotti, who considers this project “essential” for the economic and strategic development of the territory. It is also an “issue for the inhabitants of the Paillon valley (…) which will promote wealth and job creation in this territory.”
A real advance for the Metropolis: by serving a basin of 47,100 inhabitants and 13,900 jobs, line 5 should significantly open up the districts of the Paillon axis, often neglected. Approved unanimously, this measure is also a “territorial justice measure” according to metropolitan councilor Philippe Pradal. “Line 5 is on the right track”, rejoices opposition councilor Patrick Allemand.
The future Nice Airport station will be ready in 2029
The New Line Provence Côte d’Azur project is progressing. Conceived as a genuine multimodal interchange hub, “between air, tramway, and rail” according to opposition councilor Patrick Allemand, the project should materialize in 2029. To do this, the National Market of Interest (MIN) should be installed there, and the current flower MIN location “freed up” according to the mayor.
