Exploring the Ecological Transition: Addressing the Challenges of Cars, Public Transport, and Sustainable Mobility in France

Energy, transport, sustainable renovation, greening… In 2023, Libé is exploring the theme of ecological transition during a series of unique meetings. Objective: to demonstrate the issues and find solutions as close as possible to the territories. Fourth stage in Dunkirk, October 13, 14 and 15.

The car is still, by far, the most used means of transport in France. Outside of Paris, 82% of French people take it to go to work according to INSEE, many use it to drop off their children at school, go shopping… And beyond that, France has a culture of “car”, recently strengthened to the highest summit of the State. “Why do we have to do without cars? asks Barbara Pompili, former En Commun MP, during the Climat Libé Tour this Saturday! and former Minister of Ecological Transition. It is appreciated, represents freedom, independence. It’s a culture in France. But there are too many and this represents three problems: greenhouse gases, pollution and urban congestion.

“Obviously, the car will remain important for travel, but it must cover fewer kilometers,” continues Patrice Vergriete, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion in charge of Housing, before specifying that this passes by carpooling, cycling, public transport… “We don’t want to prevent people from moving around but they need to move differently,” adds Barba Pompili. “We need to change the narrative. We have long been told that the car will solve all problems. But it has not resolved the territorial divide, for example,” says Karima Delli, EE-LV MEP, who cites the example of the yellow vests, whose revolt broke out due, in particular, to the price of fuel.

Free transport

Karima Delli also explains that many companies have difficulty recruiting due to mobility difficulties or that a large number of workers refuse employment due to lack of transport. “12 million people are in precarious mobility,” she adds. But “mobility is about social bonds. But the mobility experienced must be reduced. And bringing employment closer to housing is essential,” adds Patrice Vergriete, also president of the Dunkirk urban community, who gives the example of the Verkor gigafactory, which will be set up in the northern city and which could do without parking when it opens in 2025. Public transport networks will have to connect this site to workers’ housing.

Patrice Vergriete talks about another system that he put in place while he was running the city: free buses, Dunkirk being a model on the subject. And to share the figures illustrating the success: +125% of trips by this mode of transport since the implementation of the system, with half of the additional trips that would have been made by car without the free service. “On free transport, I have no religion and I think that we should not have one,” explains Barbara Pompili. Free transport worked in Dunkirk because there was a favorable environment”, unlike in Paris or Chambéry for example. Talkative about this success, the minister, who “wants to take people on board” rather than “lecture” them, on the other hand kicked in on the contested A69 motorway project “which he does not know”.

Perform rebalancing

When the subject of the car is put on the table, that of mobility in a more general way is ultimately still in question, in particular train journeys, which all the stakeholders wish to develop more. But when Karima Delli affirms that “the real competitor of the train is the low-cost plane”, Barbara Pompili takes action: “People’s daily life is not the plane, but it is the car .” And it is therefore on the latter that we must work even more to bring about a rebalancing. And Karima Delli concludes on the transformation of mobility: “We have everything to succeed, the only thing we lack is the desire.”

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