A campaign promise by Éric Ciotti, free public transport for those over 65 came into effect this Monday, September 1st in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. During a visit to the Nice municipal seniors office, the mayor of Nice and Bertrand Gasiglia, president of the Ligne d’Azur authority, defended a measure presented as support for purchasing power and intergenerational solidarity.
Seniors were numerous, on this back-to-school day, at the Nice municipal seniors office, rue Gioffredo, on the occasion of the implementation of free public transport for those over 65 in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis. Since registrations opened on July 10th, many retirees have already completed the necessary steps to benefit from the scheme. In total, 24,000 subscriptions have been taken out, a turnout that demonstrates the interest generated by this measure, presented by the municipality as support for seniors’ purchasing power.
Accompanied by Bertrand Gasiglia, Éric Ciotti toured the premises in a relaxed and smiling atmosphere, exchanging handshakes and conversations with the seniors present. Several of them expressed satisfaction with the implementation of this measure. For the mayor of Nice, « this is a social measure, but also a measure of intergenerational solidarity. »
To benefit from the scheme, eligible residents must complete their registration with Ligne d’Azur, either at an agency or online. Once their file is validated, they can travel free of charge throughout the entire metropolitan network.
This free service does, however, involve certain costs. Beneficiaries must pay 15 euros in mandatory processing fees. To this can be added two euros for initial registration, corresponding to the creation of the personalized card. People applying online must also pay an additional 2.80 euros for card delivery fees.
A measure to support seniors
Reserved for residents of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis aged 65 and over, the measure is part of a series of commitments made by the municipal and metropolitan authorities. Through this scheme, the local authority aims to promote access to public transport while addressing the purchasing power concerns expressed by some retirees.
The mayor of Nice also emphasized his commitment to honoring the pledges made to voters. « In terms of form and method, I am very committed to honoring the commitments I have made. In particular with property tax, free parking after two hours and here, free travel throughout the metropolis for those over 65 on public transport. These are measures for purchasing power and solidarity », he declared.
For the official, this decision comes in a difficult economic context for part of the population. « There are French people who are starting this school year in difficulty », he added.
Éric Ciotti also defended a vision of public action based on keeping one’s word. « What we said, we did and this must be the basis for restoring credibility to public discourse », he declared.
For the municipality, this measure should allow seniors to make savings, but also encourage them to use public transport more across the metropolis.
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