The challenges associated with daily travel are numerous: environmental impact, lack of accessibility for all, regional inequalities.
To mark World Mobility and Accessibility Day, we spoke to Cécile Gouesse, Eurogroup Consulting's partner in charge of mobility. Sustainable mobility has become an imperative in the quest for a more environmentally-friendly and inclusive future.
In this interview, Cécile discusses the main challenges facing sustainable mobility in France, while proposing concrete solutions. From the transition to more collective modes of transport improving accessibility for all, including integration of new technologies, The future of mobility is promising but demanding.
What are the main challenges facing sustainable mobility in France, and how can we meet them?
According to the ministry of Transition and Territorial Cohesion, the transport sector from passenger and freight is the most polluting, accounting for near a third of emissions from greenhouse gas emissions. It is therefore urgent to decarbonize this sector, including by developing low-emission solutions, in particular vehicle engines, such as bus electrical or CNG/bioGNV or still the hydro traingene. (According to a study of the SNCF and’Agency of the ecological transition, 110,000 tonnes of CO2 could indeed be avoided every year with hydrogen, equivalent to the annual GHG emissions of 10,000 French people). Even modes such as tramways and metro systems, can make a significant contribution to go a notch further, for example at recovering from braking energy for the re-inject in the network (e.g. Paris, London, Vancouver, ...)
While the car remains the most widely used means of transport in France, Another major challenge we face is to move from a model centred on the individual vehicle to a more collective approach..
But how can we encourage citizens to give priority to public transport, The use of public transport modes, such as regional trains (TER or Transilien), metros, tramways, express coaches, buses or car-sharing? This calls for ambitious public policies to encourage changes in behavior.
The same applies to soft modes. Of course, cycling and public transport are widely used in Paris, and a number of cities, such as Strasbourg, Bordeaux and Nantes, have significantly boosted bicycle use.
But what alternatives are there to the car outside city centers and far from rail and bus stations?
Today, we need to invent. Solutions are emerging with express coaches which are intended to be a fast and efficient alternative, with little investment, to irradiate a territory (such as the Car express plan launched by Ile de France Mobilités or the lines around Bordeaux)
You can also reuse older, tried-and-tested “recipes”. This is the case of transport on demand which enables passengers living in sparsely populated areas to reach places of interest such as train stations, city centers and hospitals, using a digital reservation system or a telephone platform. Carpooling can also be ae a more structural avenue to explore (and not just in the event of a strike).
To convince dhe use of a collective mode, il is so essential, even indispensable, offer a fluid travel experience, efficient et seamless and consistent, through:
- Deploying mobility services everywhere, especially in underserved «white» areas
- And the development of travel companions, like the Waze of public transport, known as MaaS (mobility as a service) or Mobilité servicielle. Its purpose is to accompany travelers throughout their journey, particularly during connections or in the event of disruption...
Visit financing issueHow can we find mobility solutions that are both efficient and economically viable? How can we design services - with or without infrastructure? - that meet people's needs while remaining affordable and profitable in the long term?
Finally, Accessibility of public transport for people with reduced mobility is another challenge., among the most important.
Because it's vital that they, too - 12 million people - are able to access sustainable mobility.
What is the state of transport accessibility in France, and what are the obstacles to improving it?
Transport accessibility in France still has considerable room for improvement, although significant advances have been made in recent years. Indeed, all new projects now incorporate more inclusive standards. For example, new metro, streetcar and bus lines are accessible to people with reduced mobility, and applications to help visually impaired people get around are being developed (eg. Ile-de-France Mobilités (ezymob.fr), and existing applications are brought up to standard.
With regard to the upgrading of existing infrastructure, work on both stations and stops is underway as part of a major investment master plan.
However, it remains difficult, if not impossible, to make certain infrastructures such as the Paris metro accessible, due to technical or financial constraints, notably because of their age.
To support travel, passenger information systems are also designed to respond to different types of temporary or permanent disability (visual, hearing, cognitive...)...
Despite all this progress, there are still obstacles to be overcome. It is essential that we continue our efforts to make transport accessible to all citizens, taking into account the specific needs of each individual, whether they be motor, cognitive or to cope with a hearing or visual impairment.
Are any acceleration programs planned to make transport more accessible during the Olympic Games? Will they have a lasting impact?
The Olympic and Paralympic Games represent a unique opportunity to accelerate efforts in favor of accessible transport. A number of initiatives have been launched to ensure that the Games are accessible to as many people as possible, and that this commitment continues beyond the event.
New transport lines, such as the extension of line 14, the Paris metro or RER E, are designed with the latest accessibility standards in mind. Special offers will also be made, such as dedicated transport services for wheelchair users from major Parisian stations to Olympic facilities.
Another example: accessibility also means knowing how to welcome tourists from all over the world, as the SNCF does with its Trad'SNCF tool and its 130 languages, or the RATP with its Tradivia tool and its 17 languages.
In order to welcome the huge numbers of travellers that France is expecting for this global event, all teams have been strengthened in terms of numbers and skills to deliver the best possible care.
Outside the framework of the Games, regulatory advances such as the single assistance reservation platform for people with reduced mobility or disabilities in regional and high-speed trains (under the responsibility of SNCF Gares & Connexions on behalf of all carriers, since January 2024) testify to a growing commitment to accessibility.
In short, the Olympic and Paralympic Games represent an opportunity to catalyze efforts in favor of accessible transport in France, and to guarantee a lasting legacy for future generations.
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