The contract worth 130 million euros per year, previously held by Veolia-Transdev, will not be extended. The city is going to take public transportation back under municipal control.
Veolia Transdev, a private operator specializing in urban transport, has just lost the transportation market for Nice-Côte d’Azur, which it had operated for 7 years.
The deputy mayor of Nice, Christian Estrosi, has ended negotiations with Veolia-Transdev and Keolis for the renewal of the public service delegation contract. He announces the resumption of direct municipal management of the public transportation in the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis.
The reasons given? “It appears that the offers do not meet the community’s expectations. I have therefore decided to propose to the metropolitan council to abandon this procedure and consider the possibility of bringing it back under municipal management,” justified the Mayor of Nice at a press conference, where he stated he is “convinced that the administration of a large service by the community itself brings about efficiency and meets the users’ expectations.”
This is a major challenge facing the Nice city hall: it will have to take over the 1,700 employees of Veolia-Transdev.
However, this proposal must still be approved at the next metropolitan council meeting in September, until then, Veolia continues to provide the service.
Reaction from Patrick Allemand (PS)
Elimination of Public Service Delegations: The slow conversion of Christian ESTROSI
The Changer d’ère group has constantly condemned, since the beginning of this term, the excessive number of sectors managed by the private sector through Public Service Delegations and has consistently called for their reduction.
I note that Christian ESTROSI, in this regard, listens to his opposition on some occasions and I can only acknowledge it.
After calling for it, we voted in favor of the municipal management of Jean Bouin sports park as well as the jazz festival and the return to municipal management of school canteens.
In principle, we can only be in favor of the resumption to municipal management of metropolitan transportation.
However, given the complexity of the sector, we will be attentive to the terms of withdrawal from this PSD.
After these positive steps, there are other steps to take, particularly ending the private management of the oldest and most iconic of all PSDs, which is the most costly to taxpayers: the water market.
