A “national express coach plan” will be presented in 2025, announces the Minister of Transport

François Durovray pleads for lines “around 30 to 50 kilometers”, which could be deployed “in six months or a year” if local elected officials are willing.

A “national express coach plan” will be presented “in the first quarter of 2025”announced Saturday October 12 the Minister for Transport in an interview with West France.

François Durovray pleads for lines “around 30 to 50 kilometers, aboard coaches, and not buses, I insist”because “in a coach, you have a seat, light, a USB socket, wifi, you can read, work, sleep” and a guaranteed travel time where reserved sections will be put in place. The latter considers that in the event of agreement from local elected officials “we can deploy the lines in six months or a year”.

“There is no question of opposing rail to road, which are complementary. I want more trains and more coaches”he added, referring to the poor carbon footprint of sparsely filled diesel TER trains. “The coach is the least expensive and most ecological solution to switch people from the car to public transport”declared François Durovray, known for having written a report on express coaches in Île-de-France as president of the Essonne departmental council.

“We have paid a lot of attention, over the last few years, to connections between major French cities, by TGV, and to equipping the cities, with trams and buses with a high level of service”explained the minister. “It’s very good, but we have forgotten those who live on the outskirts of large urban centers”he pleaded, saying he also wanted to address the French who have not “no means of transportation”.

Among the 15 million French people in “mobility insecurity”, “10 million have more than 50 kilometers to travel every day”he recalled. And these “long daily journeys” weigh heavy: “for the lowest 10% of households, they represent 21% of income compared to 11% for the wealthiest 10%”.