Île-de-France: New Express Buses for the People of the Île-de-France Region?

Île-de-France Mobilités is working on a new network of Express Buses for the region, to better connect Greater Paris and the Outer Suburbs.

Surrounding major projects such as the Grand Paris Express metro or the new tram lines, buses also have a bright future in Île-de-France. The region has already launched a bus plan, which since 2016 “has led to the strengthening of nearly 1,000 routes and the deployment of 1,000 additional buses”. During the 2021 school year, the service was expanded with new lines or extended routes. To go further, Île-de-France Mobilités (IDFM) aims to revamp the regional Express bus network.

The public company reports “many obstacles” for residents of the Outer Suburbs (Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Val-de-Marne). According to IDFM, the reasons are varied, such as “distance from employment hubs” or “traffic congestion”.

The President of Essonne to defend the Express Buses

“We must primarily target citizens who are far from public transportation, those who currently have no alternative to private cars,” says François Durovray, President of the Essonne Department, “that is the goal of the future Île-de-France express bus network: a transport offer more ecological, more economical, and more efficient.”

To address this, Île-de-France Mobilités has tasked F. Durovray with developing an Express component within the region’s bus plan. The elected official focuses on two main axes, which are “strengthening existing routes or creating new connections”, along with a new name. IDFM also hopes to find “new solutions” and funding for these Île-de-France Express buses. Another major challenge is that this network aims to connect “the Outer Suburbs to the future Grand Paris Express network in a multimodal approach.”

The conclusions of this mission will be known in the first half of 2023, while no date has been set for the implementation of a new Express Bus network.

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