Meet the users of the demand responsive transport: saint-nom-la-bretèche

On the occasion of the 18th edition of the European Mobility Week, focus on the west of Paris in Saint-Nom la-Bretèche and its Demand-Responsive Transport network “TAD Ile-de-France Mobilités” (ex Flexigo Gally-Mauldre).

Once arrived at the Foret de Marly train station, we go to the DRT stop and wait for the minibus that we booked a few hours before via the “TAD IDFM” app. Once aboard, we meet Huynh, 39, who has just moved to St-Nom-la-Bretèche. She heard about the service from her husband who got the information on internet:

Although I don’t use it very regularly, I am truly satisfied. It’s very practical and easy to book.

Huynh uses the service to go home located 30 minutes on foot from the train station.

Before, I moved to the station by car, now I can book a minibus in advance, which are available anytime. I save fuel and I don’t need to park or pay for it. I know I can rely on this service for my daughter’s travels to and from the train station which is located in the middle of the forest. It reassures me to know that a minibus is waiting for her when she comes back from Paris at night.

Akhil, 17, high school student, also living in St-Nom-la-Bretèche, is silently listening to us from an adjacent place. He intervenes:

There is no comparison possible. Before, I hitchhiked sometimes to go to school in the morning or to go back home in the evening. It wasn’t easy and I walked sometimes more than 45 minutes when no one wanted to pick me up. It was really tough and unsafe. This service reassures my parents, especially when it’s dark.

For Akhil who has no problem in handling the application, the time slots available are many but sometimes don’t match the train schedules :

We end up having sometimes 15-20 minutes to wait otherwise we miss the train.

The student adds that efforts in terms of communication and acculturation still have to be done:

Sometimes, people can’t get on the bus because they don’t know that they have to book a ride. It’s frustrating for them and the driver and it could be avoided if everyone knew the rules of the game from the beginning. At the train station, no one can really explain the service operation and the signs – when they exist – are not clear enough in my opinion.

We get off the bus at the “Europe 1” stop to meet Mélanie, 37, on the town hall square. Mélanie is a young mother who lives 5 minutes from there.

I use my car exclusively, I never needed to use the service but I find it convenient. I may use it if I have an issue with my car and need to go urgently to the train station or the surroundings.

At mentioning previously-met Akhil and Huynh’s testimonies, Melanie confesses:

My children will start to move alone soon and it is true that it’s a solution that would reassure me.

Read the next chapter

About TAD IDFM Gally-Mauldre

• 11 towns served
• Launched on January 2nd, 2018
• Co-financed by Ile-de-France Mobilités and the Gally-Mauldre municipality
• More than 250 trips / weekday
• Operated by Transdev
• 6000 trips / month
• + 95% of bookings made via the mobile app
• 95% of punctuality
• The DRT service was set up to facilitate intermodality by allowing the inhabitants of the territory to access the train stations of Maule, Plaisir and Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche at peak hours without using their personal vehicle. The service also facilitates senior and non-motorized youth travels in the area by offering off-peak hours services during weekdays and Saturdays to cities of the inter municipality and train stations.

Read more (in French)

Meet other users of Dynamic Demand-Responsive Transport

To respect their anonymity, the first names of the interviewees have been modified.