Free transportation and development of Dunkerque center: a social and environmental commitment. On September 1, 2018, the city of Dunkerque switches to a new public transit system. A special feature: the total free access to this service. Why such an approach? And what effects we can see after one year of operation? This is what you will be able to see in this interview with Xavier Dairaine, former Project Director for the Dunkerque Urban Community (CUD):
This is a relatively long interview (length: 58min), so the following is a summary of the questions:
0:45 – In what context did the free Dunkerque transport project takes place?
4:25 – What was the overall territory redevelopment project?
6:00 – What were the objectives of this project?
9:20 – What have been the main obstacles to the introduction of total free transportation?
13:40 – How was the transition from the old to the new bus network?
16:55 – How was the new bus network’s gratuitousness welcomed by people?
20:30 – Which people have been most impacted by these changes?
26:10 – When you receive mayors from other municipalities, what are your tips for implementing free transportation
29:15 – How did the introduction of free transportation take place in other cities?
33:45 – What do you say to people who question the effectiveness of free measures?
39:45 – How was the network redevelopment and free of charge funded?
44:25 – What are the services offered to complement the bus network offering in the face of certain access difficulties?
47:00 – Are future improvements being considered for service to industrial areas and night trips?
50:15 – How is the KD’BUS network connected with the territory’s other transport networks?
55:40 – Are other studies like those done in Dunkerque being considered to continue to monitor the impacts of free transportation?
For more details on other free transport projects in France and around the world: http://www.obs-transport-gratuit.fr/
To download the various studies carried out in Dunkerque:
- study after a year of free transportation (September 2019)
- study on partial free transport (March 2017)