Rennes was the last French city to give in to its sirens. From now on, 205 anti-fraud gates, scattered over all stations, control all access to metro trains in the Breton capital. Voted in 2015, the order placed with the Clemessy company cost nearly 7.5 million euros.
The objective is simple: it is to reduce the fraud rate from 10 to 7% and to cover an annual operating loss estimated at 4 million euros. Fruit of many debates, this device, contested by environmentalists, had been poured into the union agreement with the Socialists in the second round of municipal elections.
Question timing, this inauguration falls at the time when Keolis is targeted by an investigation by the Regional Chamber of Accounts (read Le Mensuel de Rennes in December). There are also accessibility issues considered discriminating by people with reduced mobility …
Video test
The On Exist collective, led by Gaëtan Deschamps, which brings together people from Rennes with disabilities, tested them on video. The result is clear: difficulties of accessibility, design and ergonomics are noted … The scenario also shows the small space (55 cm) of the gates intended for able-bodied people, naturally favoring travelers responsible for using the Wider gates (90 cm) dedicated to PRM.
The collective does not intend to back down on any of its demands: “The control gates, such as they are, represent a discriminating device, hindering the autonomy and free movement of people with reduced mobility”.
Water in the gates
For their part, environmentalists were opposed to the gates. In 2015, they voted against these “discriminating and contradictory devices like an open city”.
But the agreement between two rounds of the last municipal elections is there. The gates were sold by the ecologists in exchange for the cancellation of the Zenith project by the PS. Since then, the n ° 1 of the ecologists, Matthieu Theurier, has also become vice-president of the Metropolis in charge of… transport.
The gates? He is still against it, but “there will be no going back,” he said. For accessibility, he remains “vigilant” and says that tests will continue. He also repeats that free access has been extended to children under 12 and prices lowered for children under 26.
–
