It’s been called “the tram of desires,” but at this rate, it will become an… obsession!
After the tram march last Saturday in Ariane, which involved about a hundred people (not exactly a crowd…), a new proposal, this time in the name of the Socialist Party, suggests a new financing option that, in its author’s intention, should eliminate the cost issue of the operation by being the source of funding itself.
Every proposal has its merits, but the core issue is Christian Estrosi’s determination not to backtrack on a decision already made and not to concede a “victory” to his opponents. Therefore, we can infer that no proposal will resonate with the mayor of Nice and President of the Métropole.
Moreover, his priorities are clear and evident: extending the line towards Saint-Laurent and Cagnes-sur-Mer for the benefit of his loyal metropolitan lieutenants rather than opening up the eastern districts and the Paillon valley where his opponents operate.
General interest, you say? But to be elected, you need votes…
Funding the extension of line 1 with a differentiated tram fare at the airport.
On one hand, we have residents of the Nice Métropole who have paid and will continue to pay – very dearly – for line 2 of the tramway and who find it unjust to have to pay an increased fare to reach the airport.
On the other hand, there is the loss of business for taxis, even if the profession struggles to evoke sympathy beyond its own, and especially the lost revenue for Lignes d’Azur. Based on the price of the bus ticket serving the airport (€6.50) and the number of airport passengers (nearly 14 million), we gauge the financial stakes.
If a third of the passengers took the tram (a low estimate), the differential would amount to €25 million. That’s a significant amount that could be reinvested in an ambitious mobility policy.
The solution to reconcile fairness for taxpayers and fair pricing would simply be a differentiated fare. Metropolitans would pay €1 or €1.50, others between €6.50 and €8. Technically, the solution is quite feasible.
To apply a higher fare at the airport than on the rest of the route, you need a system of automatic gates at the entry and exit, like in the Paris metro or Orlyval. By presenting a card or their smartphone in advance at the terminal, residents of the Métropole would only need to insert a standard tram ticket afterward.
This measure would raise at least €15 million per year. It could fully finance the extension of line 1 to La Trinité in about ten years (perhaps less) without a single euro being spent by the taxpayer.
Xavier Garcia, 1st Secretary of the PS 06
