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Faced with individuals who threaten their passengers near deal points, RTM drivers are now forced to adapt their route. A situation exacerbated by the war waged by Marseille drug traffickers.
Le Figaro Marseille
“In certain neighborhoods, we are confronted daily with stone-throwing and acts of incivility. But what is new are the deal points which have been set up near the lines. The driver’s fear is finding himself next to a settling of accounts »breathes Nicolas Rougerie, bus driver and CFDT-RTM general secretary, to the Figaro.
The trade unionist and many of his fellow bus drivers employed by the Régie des transports métropolitains (RTM) in Marseille are regularly confronted with threatening individuals belonging to drug trafficking networks who no longer hesitate to defend “their” territory as vehicles approach. The latest example dates back to October 12, when a driver of line 23 passing through the Cayolle district was followed by a man “dressed in black” and equipped with a firearm.
Riding a scooter, the individual tried to attack two passengers “enemies” from a local deal point, before following the bus for several minutes and fleeing. “These are intimidation effects intended for young people from a rival gang who get into the vehicle. This stresses our staff, because we are never safe from a slip-up”recognizes Nicolas Covarel, RTM operations director.
Diversions and security cameras
Seeking to protect their drivers and the 7,000 passengers who use the line every day, the Régie was forced to divert buses 23 from their usual route. “The stop located opposite the deal point is not served and a loop is made near the heart of the Cayolle district. Diversions had already been adopted due to bulky items on the roads, but also because of settling of scores which had broken out in cities linked to drug trafficking.continues Nicolas Covarel.
And the situation is particularly worsening in this district of the 9th arrondissement of Marseille, which is popular with families and tourists for its proximity to the Sormiou cove. Four deal points have sprung up all over the surrounding area, one of them even setting up in front of a nursery and primary school. «La Cayolle has always been difficult territory. There is a resurgence of incivility, linked to successive governments which have seen fit to shell the places of dealing”regrets Nicole Bonfils, co-president of the neighborhood interest committee (CIQ) Hauts de Mazargues / La Cayolle.
“It’s a place where people live well, with events, neighborhood parties and association structures. But the problem is the drugs. For a year, Cayolle has been stuck in a war between traffickers . We are plagued by shootings between gangs and small dealers”adds the volunteer, specifying that a lot of work by the police made it possible to chase away certain traffickers.
Several bus lines in the northern districts are also facing these problems, it even happens that young people get on and check passengers
Nicolas Rougerie, bus driver and CFDT-RTM general secretary
“The drivers continue to go to Cayolle, but they approach the neighborhood with fear. They look to see if there are groups of young people and know how to recognize when the situation is tense.explains Nicolas Rougerie, estimating that the situation has become particularly tough in recent months, as in many French cities. “Our vehicles have several security cameras and a reporting chain is triggered extremely quickly in conjunction with the police in the event of a problem. We sometimes deviate lines, but there is not a place we do not go to in Marseille.adds the RTM operations director, adding that other deviations are not excluded in the future.
“There are cameras on board the bus, but that is not what will prevent a settling of scores around the bus. We are calling for the reinstatement of the local transport security contract in consultation with the public authorities to put municipal police officers back in transport.”retorts the trade unionist. “Several bus lines in the northern districts are also facing these problems, it sometimes even happens that young people get on and check passengers. We are one of the only utilities that still enter these neighborhoods »he recalls.
