The brief respite between the two main candidates for the Nice municipality, Christian Estrosi and Jacques Peyrat, has ended. The new year has been wished, the Christmas dishes digested, and the struggle for power can finally recommence. This time, public transport is the focus of all attention. On Monday, via 22 of the 24 present council members, CANCA adopted a 23% reduction in bus ticket prices.
This decision is not unanimous and is even divisive. This explains the absence during the vote of the Mayor of Nice, Jacques Peyrat, who preferred to abstain rather than vote against the program. Supportive of the reduction project, the senator-mayor believes the direct cost is too significant for the year 2008. For him, it is necessary to take the time to “quantify, organize, and evaluate the cost of this reduction.” Ideally, a one-euro ticket operation would be implemented for the year 2009.
We do not play with taxpayers’ money
While everyone agrees on the principle of the one-euro bus, financial disagreements arise. Public transportation represents a significant financial boon, since in 2007 the city of Nice had about 40 million passengers. However, this reduction would only affect 30% of occasional travelers.
A price reduction that requires substantial financial efforts. The amounts to be provided by the different parties are not the same whether one is at CANCA or the Nice metropolitan area. According to the president of the General Council, Christian Estrosi, the sum to be disbursed for this change would be around 6 million euros. The Mayor of Nice, based on his own calculations, shows an amount between 10 and 13 million euros. A difference because the missing money might be levied from taxpayers.
After three refusals and numerous discussions, CANCA committed to cover 50% of the extra costs. This significant gesture helped to unlock a situation that seemed compromised and ultimately satisfied all political actors, much to the delight of the users.
