The appeals filed by the municipal opposition and local associations against the Declaration of Public Utility (DUP) have not been upheld by Prefect Christophe Mirmand. It is known that the signing of this declaration by his predecessor, between the two rounds of the presidential election, was one of the main reasons, if not “the” reason, for his replacement. This decision was therefore anticipated, and the prefectoral choice was a difficult one: How to disown a colleague on such a sensitive matter?
As a result, the way is now clear for the commencement of the works, and they can proceed according to the planned schedule.
Christian Estrosi acknowledged the decision with satisfaction: “This confirms the green light given by the independent commission at the end of the public inquiry” and invited the opposition to consider that “this project is useful and expected by the vast majority of the people of Nice.”
However, this olive branch was rejected by the opponents of the “collective for an alternative Line 2 of the tramway,” led by Marc Concas, who is both a regional councilor for the Socialist Party and a lawyer by profession. They are not ready to put down their weapons and will present a new appeal before the Administrative Court, which is competent in such cases.
The reasons mentioned, according to reports, are numerous: From the exorbitant cost (more than 1 billion euros compared to the 758.7 million initially forecasted for the project) to the issues surrounding the digging of the 3.2-kilometer tunnel from the Port to Grosso alongside the Victor Hugo Boulevard (an option that has already led to the creation of an anti-tunnel association).
In conclusion, while everyone agrees on an east-west line, opinions differ on the choice of route.
In truth, nothing new under the sun! If anyone has to be disturbed, it’s always the neighbor. And what if the route along the Promenade des Anglais had been the only truly good idea in this case?
