Buying tickets onboard implies a serious waste of time. Paris bus journeys lose 150,000 hours every year to drivers selling transport tickets. Consequently, Ile-de-France Mobilités has launched a three-week campaign to encourage travellers to buy their ticket before taking the bus. The aim is to save time and money, as well as facilitating bus boarding.
Tickets onboard: time and money
Selling tickets onboard causes a longer overall journey duration for travellers. Boarding slows down considerably since passengers cannot enter directly the vehicle. Furthermore, drivers cannot head to the next stop until they have assisted the people who do not have a ticket.
In addition, it also implies spending more money since single tickets onboard are generally more expensive than passes in machines. In Paris, a T+ ticket costs 2€ onboard. On the other hand, a 10 trip card is 1,40€ per journey.
New bus network
The RATP and the City of Paris will put into service a new bus network on April 20th. This modernization is the result of wide-ranging consultation with users’ associations, the general public and local authorities.
The objective is to improve the quality of service with more frequent, punctual and better distributed buses in the territory. There will be 5 new lines and new inter-district links. Also, the new design will eliminate doubled services in some areas. These modifications should make it possible to improve the regularity of the buses and increase their commercial speed.
Free public transport, the solution?
Early last year the Mayor of Paris, Anne Hidalgo, announced the launch of a study mission on the possibility of free public transport in Ile-de-France. The initiative’s main objective is to improve the quality of the air and protect the health of citizens. It would also eliminate the need for buying tickets onboard.
