Line A of the Bordeaux tramway leads to the airport thanks to an extension inaugurated on April 29th. Three months later, who are the users of this section of the line? How many are there and are they satisfied?
To connect the city center of Bordeaux to Mérignac airport, it now takes 35 minutes by tram. In July and August, it is mainly holidaymakers who use this section of the line. “We arrive from Figari in Corsica, and we return to Saintes, in Charente-Maritime, confides a traveler. The tram allows us to reach Saint-Jean station and then take the train. It saves us having to take the car.”
The tramway is a godsend for the airport, which is in the process of carrying out a transformation plan for the next five years. “8,000 people work in the airport area and nearly 3,000 are in direct contact with this tram station. This is a real asset in terms of connection to the territory and accessibility to the airport,” unveils Simon Dreschel, Chairman of the Management Board of Bordeaux-Mérignac Airport.
The line A terminus is used by holidaymakers, but also airport employees. “There are approximately 30,000 employees in this area of activity. It is enormous, underlines Béatrice de François, vice-president of Bordeaux-Métropole in charge of public transport and parking. We have the impression, in this summer season, that many users have suitcases, but a lot of employees [des entreprises de la zone, NDLR] take this transport,” adds the chosen one.
If it makes holidaymakers and employees happy, the tramway does not make taxis happy. “The tramway took about two-thirds of our clientele,” estimates one of them, parked in front of the terminal. With 8 to 10,000 daily passengers, the first assessment of this new terminus is rather positive.
2023-08-02 18:36:45
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