While the price of fuel is exploding, the opening of a new carpooling line in the Grenoble conurbation seems welcome. Linking Uriage to Saint-Martin-d’Hères, it expands a network set up since 2020 by the metropolis. To connect Grenoble to Grésivaudan and Voironnais.
Every morning it’s the same scenario. An uninterrupted line of cars and trucks driving slowly towards Grenoble. And in the evening, the traffic jams are the other way around. Impossible to escape it on the road to Uriage in Grésivaudan.
“It’s a combe which every day welcomes around 15,000 vehicles in round trips per day, it’s considerable recognizes Sylvain Laval, president of SMMAG (the Joint Union of Mobilities of the Grenoble area), it’s a highly congested place where we need to provide a solution to make people’s lives easier.”
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The solution proposed by the metropolis is carpooling. A new line between Uriage and Saint-Martin-d’Hères was opened with the M covoit’ Lignes + service. It operates somewhat on the principle of bus lines. No reservation, no commission, no constraint.
The passenger goes to a clearly identified stop of M covoit’ Lines + then make their trip request via the dedicated application or by telephone (06 44 64 42 73). When a driver pulls over, the passenger enters the driver’s code. And once the journey is completed, it is automatically compensated.
A bargain for everyone
If carpooling helps relieve traffic congestion and limit pollution, it is also good for the wallet. And it is not insignificant when the price of fuel soars, now exceeding 2 euros per liter in most service stations. “By sharing trips, we share the costs, it’s interesting for everyone, both the driver and the passenger” confirms Sylvain Laval who adds “we talk a lot about gasoline, but even an electric car has to be recharged and the price of electricity is rising, so pooling trips will always be a good deal for everyone.”
A promising start
The line was officially launched on Wednesday but it has been running for a month already and the figures are encouraging. “We see a service that continues to progress from week to week, a hundred users since its launch” rejoices the president of SMMAG.
“Given the importance of this axis and the daily flow, we know that it was something expected that was requested by the inhabitants, the elected officials of the territory and which will continue to progress” he believes.
The network grows
The carpooling line between Uriage and Saint-Martin-d’Hères is the 14th set up since September 2020 by the metropolis with the company Ecov.
In the Grésivaudan, the lines deployed are primarily intended to facilitate access to employment areas, the ZA of Crolles, Bernin and Inovallée and Pré Millet.
The service is also present in the Voironnais. The lane reserved for carpoolers opened by AREA on the A48 contributes to the efficiency of the device. The latter is activated in the event of congestion on a 6 km portion of the motorway on arrival in Grenoble.
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