Toulouse: is the extension of the covid terraces justified?
To support the catering bank, the City of Toulouse has extended the extension of the covid terraces until March 2022. A decision not understood by some.
By deciding to extend the extension of the Covid terraces until the end of March 2022, the City has made people happy among restaurateurs and cafetiers. On the other hand, this is less the case with local residents’ associations. “Toulouse was a pioneer on this initiative, recalls Olivier Bouscatel, president of GNI 31. After the difficulties experienced by our establishments, everything that supports our activity is good. We are, moreover, not completely out of the crisis”. Olivier Bouscatel also recalls that of the 600 terrace extensions, only four establishments have been closed. “Which shows the responsibility of the majority of the sector”.
Hubert de Faletans, president of the catering branch at Umih 31, jumped on hearing the doubt about the merits of this decision: “Nothing will make up for the shortfall experienced by the sector between March and December 2020, s ‘he insists. Some have lost everything. So yes, it is justified. Especially since this addition of terraces increased security in certain neighborhoods. It is found “.
Set of disrespect for life
These opinions contrast with those of local residents’ associations, often standing up to this decision deemed “arbitrary”. “With all the aid received by the sector, it is indecent,” insists a resident of the city center. Another denounces “the chaos drained by these terraces, in particular when leaving rue Pargaminière towards the Capitol or at the corner of Joan of Arc where you no longer know where to walk”.
Patrick Allaire from Bien Vivre à Toulouse (BVTC) regrets “a price decision without consultation, which goes against the living together advocated by the City. The accumulation of problems is impressive: mobility, lack of tranquility, noise pollution, visual , questionable hygiene with often insufficient toilets, etc. Conclusion: now in Toulouse, public space only belongs to a professional category “.
Christophe Alves, deputy mayor, in charge of this file, ensures “that this prolonged extension is part of the City’s support for a sector very weakened by the crisis”. On the other hand, after the exemption from road rights, granted to terraces in 2020, the situation must return to normal, “the extension of the extensions of Covid terraces will therefore be billed at 30% in addition to the tariff for conventional terraces”, justifies the elected official. , which specifies that a study will be carried out by the City on a possible sustainability or not of these extensions around three axes: enhancement of heritage, accessibility, traffic and noise pollution “.