“A single national ticket for transport”: this is the project that the France intends to experiment from the end of 2024 so as to allow travelers to travel throughout the country with a single ticket.
The target? Make travel easier for users by connecting regional and local ticketing systems.
A single transport ticket valid on all networks
A single ticket valid for using trains, buses and the metro in France: an epochal idea initially promulgated by the former Minister of Transport, Clement Beauneand now taken up by the current head of the department, Patrice Vergrietewho at the end of May chaired the first steering committee of the project, the result of the agreement signed between the Regions and the Group of Authorities responsible for transport (GART).
This is, certainly, a far-reaching project that will require commitment and work in particular to connect all local and national ticketing systems but, as underlined by Vergriete, fundamental for reduce trips made alone by car and, consequently, the environmental impact caused by greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere.
The “universal ticket” also requires a “testing period” to collect essential feedback to understand whether to continue with this change also in 2025: thus, they were selected some regions in which to start the experimental phase, i.e. the Pays de la Loire, Normandy and Centre-val-de-Loire (on the Caen – Le Mans – Tours axis).
These are locations that offer the ideal setting for validate the technical proposals, verify the various movements of users, and progressively improve and extend the service. Furthermore, it will be important to have national guidelines to replicate and make operational to facilitate the distribution of tickets.
These are the words of the Minister delegate for Transport: “To move towards ever greater simplification, today we are taking a new step in our single transport ticket project by testing our solution on an interregional scale. I would like to thank the regions of Normandy, the Pays de la Loire and the Center Val de Loire and the local authorities organizing mobility for their mobilization in this experiment, which should pave the way for generalization on a national scale“.
They, in turn, also expressed full satisfaction Christelle Morançaispresident of the Pays de la Loire Region, for which “a single transport ticket valid on all networks is a useful objective to facilitate access to public transport“, Jean-Baptiste Gastinnevice-president of the Normandy Region and responsible for transport, who declared that “This experience is part of the continuity of the efforts undertaken for a long time by the Normandy Region, within its competences, to promote the most efficient solutions for simpler, more economical and more environmentally friendly mobility possible.” And Philippe Fourniévice-president of the Centre-val-de-Loire region, according to which “one of the great challenges in promoting the use of public transport lies in the integration of networks and fares into a unified and transparent system for the user“.
The example of Germany
With the initiative of the single ticket for travel on all means of transport in the country, France is joining the wake of the Germany where this has already been a reality for some time: the integrated ticket, in fact, only costs 49 euros per monthi.e. 1.60 euros per day.
The Deutschlandticket has had great success with over three million Germans who purchased it and were thus able to travel on trains, buses and metro with a considerable savings.
