Growing Unrest Over the Closure of Bercy Bus Station

The first deputy (PS) of the Paris City Hall, Emmanuel Grégoire, ignited the controversy by announcing the closure of the station as we know it at the end of “the public service delegation deadline that binds us to the operator”, which is immediately after the Olympics. The city hall plans to subsequently “renew management and prohibit future managers from operating long-distance tourist buses” . The space is then intended to become a large-capacity parking lot for tourist buses prohibited from city center circulation in Paris.

The National Federation of Passenger Transport (FNTV) quickly responded by informing the Paris elected official of “its deep concern and the total misunderstanding of the profession regarding the disastrous consequences of this unilateral, unconsulted decision, and without any alternative proposal”. The organization reminds us that most capitals in Europe and around the world have proper bus stations. This is a reality, and travelers crossing Europe by low-cost bus are well aware of these stopovers in their journeys. But more importantly, sufficient parking facilities to accommodate flows and satisfactory safety, information, and comfort conditions are essential, which is far from the case at Bercy-Seine.

Bercy-Seine unhealthy?

So, who is to blame? The Paris City Hall merely points to the condition of the bus station and the lack of investment by operators in its maintenance, while the FNTV refrains from blaming any specific responsible party for this unworthy filth of the City of Light. Just a mere lack of fighters and good will.

However, and this is probably the most important point, it is a real scandal not to do the minimum to properly host the 5 to 9 million passengers (depending on sources…) who use it annually for domestic routes.

The Paris City Hall has never hidden its opposition to long-distance coach services. A position that is more political than logical, but not surprising when these are nicknamed “Macron Buses”. A real waste, because this transportation option allows for pricing suited to modest incomes and has proven its usefulness as an eco-friendly and social transport solution.

Open the dialogue

Furthermore, the FNTV considers that transforming Bercy-Seine station into a parking lot exclusively for tourist coaches does not meet their needs. The station is indeed far from major tourist sites in the capital, and drop-off and pick-up points risk congesting this already busy sector.

The FNTV respectfully refrains from engaging in hyperbole or biased figures. It requests that, before any closure, a credible alternative be considered that meets the needs of accommodating the “Macron Buses” and their passengers, 24/7, within Paris or its immediate outskirts, with strong multimodal connections to maintain accessible transportation without cars. The ball is now in Anne Hidalgo’s court.