Outgoing Vice-President in charge of transport and eco-mobility, Jean-Marie Petit is the second candidate on the Région Coopérative (EELV-FdG) list in Bouches du Rhône
Holding a heavy and strategic responsibility, often at the center of controversies, he reviews his term in office
Facilitating access to public transport with the Zou! card, which offers attractive pricing for everyone, and with PACAmobilité.fr, which provides information on all existing modes of transport for a chosen route;
Ensuring territorial equality: by ensuring the sustainability of railway lines such as the Ligne des Alpes, Nice/Sospel/Breil/Tende/Coni or Nice/Digne, by allowing the reopening of Carpentras/Avignon, and the upcoming reopening of Aix/Rognac/Etang de Berre, and the increase in service between Toulon and Hyères; by connecting the regional territory with road lines (LER) and ensuring connections with airports, ports, and the high-speed network; by developing intermodality through the financing of bus and train stations but especially the Multimodal Exchange Hubs; by considering the “last Kilometer” to continue traveling beyond the stations with car-sharing, bicycles and their parking, carpooling, urban transport, etc.
Increasing the number of trains and the reliability of services with the modernization of the regional rail network and that of the Provence Railways;
Prioritizing investment in public transport rather than on roads;
Creating the Regional Transport Authority, which has taken direct management of the Provence Railways on the Nice/Digne line. This gives the Region greater expertise in rail;
Developing the use of bicycles with the network of bike routes and greenways.
Supporting associations that operate tourist trains and manage rail museums (GECP, Eco Musée Breil, ATTCV, locomotive 6570, etc.).
A record to be satisfied with, according to him.
“We have strived to be as responsive as possible to provide answers, solutions, decisions to all the requests submitted to us.
I have also ensured that all major issues are handled by our regional community with all the stakeholders involved in each project, regardless of each party’s position; I am thinking of the railway tunnel under Montgenèvre, the Ligne Nouvelle PCA, the Tende road tunnel, the Fos/Salon motorway bypass, the Orange bypass,” he says.
But no sore points, as his political opponents claim by criticizing the shortcomings of regional policy?
Jean-Yves Petit defends himself: “Of course, within this record, there is a weak point, which is the recurring difficulty of the SNCF to ensure the quality, regularity, and reliability of the TER services. Even though overall the results are better than before 2010, there are still too many canceled and delayed trains. The lack of quality social dialogue generates too many strikes each year, which is unacceptable when, at the same time, the number of users is increasing and needs to have confidence in the public rail service.”
And he adds: “This deficiency of the SNCF is all the more unacceptable as the Region has more than fulfilled its role as organizing authority by heavily investing in the purchase of 26 new trains, in stations, on railway tracks, and in places that ensure train storage and maintenance. This is indeed a proactive policy on the part of the Region, as the tracks and stations belong to the State.”
Reflecting on the past is the end of the term. The future is the regional elections next December.
The candidate of the LR, Christian Estrosi, will propose a series of measures to strengthen the mobility of the region’s inhabitants, riding the wave of user protests pointing out deficiencies alongside some collectives.
His response is scathing: “Mr. Estrosi wants to create what already exists, a regional transport police or implement video surveillance onboard trains, for example. And he wants to abolish the Zou! card, which he deems ineffective, despite more than 160,000 people holding it.”
And he adds: “He wants to finance large road projects like the Tende tunnel, the Orange bypass, or the A51 while refusing to co-finance, as Mayor and President of the Metropolis, the accessibility of the Nice Riquier station, the modernization of the Nice/Breil/Tende line, the Provence Railways, and the very important line for the 50,000 daily users along the Côte d’Azur between Mandelieu and Ventimiglia.”
His conclusion is even allusive and… mocking: “He therefore wishes, like under JC Gaudin’s presidency, to ensure 90% of road investments even though road competence falls to the departments.”
