The environmental NGO points to the price of the trains and the tariff formulas, as well as the amount of the subscription to travel to Paris and its inner suburbs.
France, a bad student in terms of transport? The country is 21st out of 30 European countries and Paris 27th out of 30 capitals, in a ranking taking into account the price of public transport, social tariffs and the simplicity of subscriptions, published Thursday, May 4 by Greenpeace. The environmental organization criticizes the French system for the high cost of its trains and their lack of tariff integration at the national level and the formulas, in particular for young people and seniors, of the TGVs not being in particular valid on the TER, and vice versa .
Regarding Paris, Greenpeace finds the annual subscription expensive (925 euros), especially since it covers the entire Ile-de-France and there is no cheaper formula for getting around the capital alone. On the contrary, the NGO welcomes the Ile-de-France social pricing. It also notes that employers reimburse at least 50% of their employees’ public transport subscriptions (over eleven months), but this French specificity does not seem to enter into its classification.
The first place for free transport in Luxembourg
For Greenpeace, the formulas must be simple, cover all modes of transport in vast regions, over at least a month or even a year, apply to all – non-residents included -, be “affordable to all” and be free or cheaper for the lowest incomes, unemployed, retired, young, disabled, asylum seekers, etc. The ranking does not take into account the quality of the transport networks.
Luxembourg, where public transport is free, is unsurprisingly number 1, followed by Malta, Austria, Germany, Cyprus and Spain. In 21st place, France is ranked at the same level as Finland, Italy and Slovakia, Switzerland being 7th, Belgium 12th and Bulgaria dead last. Greenpeace salutes the “relatively affordable tickets” which can be used nationwide in Germany, Austria and Hungary, and notes that integrated subscriptions exist in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, the Netherlands and Switzerland. The NGO is waiting to learn more about the “single ticket” that the government wants to introduce in France.