Starting from July 1, 2025, children under 11 will be able to use public transportation in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis for free. Mayor Christian Estrosi justifies this measure, though he does not support total free access, unlike some associations and local officials.
Starting from July 1, 2025, children under 11 will be able to use public transportation in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis for free. This decision was announced by Mayor Christian Estrosi and is part of a larger debate on free transportation.
For several years, the Viva! citizen assembly has been championing this claim. Its member, David Nakache, also president of the Tous Citoyens association, welcomes this progress: “Free public transportation is an essential measure to be implemented in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis from both environmental and social perspectives. We have been advocating this proposal for many years, and we campaigned on this theme during the municipal elections in Nice in 2020.”
On Tuesday, March 11, the Socialist Party of the Alpes-Maritimes organized a meeting with Michaël Delafosse, mayor of Montpellier. His city is the first in France to implement total free public transportation for all residents. For David Nakache, this experience has been decisive: “Michaël Delafosse brilliantly demonstrated the legitimacy of free public transportation and the concrete feasibility of this measure.”
A Compromise for Christian Estrosi
While the Nice transportation fees have increased since summer 2023, free access for those under 11 appears as a response to this hike. Currently, children over 4 need to pay for a subscription if they regularly use transportation with their parents. Two plans are available: the “under 26 pass” at 180 euros per year and the “school pass” at 50 euros per year for a daily round trip.
Christian Estrosi nonetheless reiterates his opposition to total free access, considering it “a dangerous illusion that undermines the quality, safety of transportation and jeopardizes local finances.” He favors a targeted model, already in place for non-taxable seniors over 65 and soon to be extended to younger individuals.
This announcement fits into a local political dynamic where mobility and transportation costs remain major issues.