Toulouse: compulsory teleworking to blow up traffic jams
The introduction of compulsory teleworking – 3 days minimum – in companies, Monday, January 3, triggered a sharp drop in car traffic in Toulouse and its metropolitan area. In public transport, the drop is also noticeable.
It rolls like in August! Since last Monday, January 3, date of implementation of mandatory teleworking, Toulouse has returned to the time of confinement in 2020 … On the ring road, highways, in the city center, on departmental roads, the drop is spectacular . On the control screens of the Direction des routes du Sud-Ouest, it is very clear, comments an engineer.
The traffic jams observed each day have completely melted away
“Where usually there are regular traffic jams, leaving the A64 at Langlade in the morning, between Cépière and Bordelongue in the evening, it is impressive. There is no longer a cat”. The accumulations of traffic jams observed at the end of 2021, which were around 70 km on certain days, have completely melted away. “I had never seen that since confinement, testifies a resident of Noé, southwest of Toulouse. Twenty-five minutes to do 30 km instead of 45 or 50 minutes when it gets stuck. incredible fluidity, morning and evening! “
“Muret – Purpan in 20 minutes, it’s very rare. Usually, it’s 35 minutes” testifies a taxi
“Since the start of the week, it’s been impressive. This Friday morning, I went to pick up a client in Muret at 10 am. At 10:20 am, we were in Purpan. Usually, it takes 35 minutes”, observes Philippe Duran , artisanal taxi. For William Lemaître, driving school director “when my students start Jean-Jaurès alleys in the city center, for example, it’s just incredible. The traffic is really calm”. It’s the same to get out of town, notes the professional. Sesquières, the Minimes, the Canal du Midi, the Matabiau station, the Grand-Rond … “Vraiment on respire”.
20% decrease at Tisséo compared to 2019
In public transport, note the Tisséo authority, the drop is 20% for the Toulouse metropolitan area. Traffic, which was already down 13% at the end of 2021 compared to the same period of 2019 (pre-Covid reference year), has again lost users. In taxis, however, Philippe Duran observes the perverse effects of teleworking for his profession. It’s not just cars that stay in the garage. Trains and planes arrive half empty. “It’s a disaster. Businessmen stay at home, and we don’t work anymore.”
Taxis and restaurant owners penalized by the decline in activity
“Usually the first week of January is not terrible, but here it is worse than usual. There is teleworking of course, but for taxis like me who provide medical transport, the postponement of non-emergency operations linked to Covid also have a big impact. Today, I only transported one patient, compared to 8 or 15 during the day usually. All inclusive, I transported 5 people, compared to 15 or 20 in normal time. ” For driving school director William Lemaître, on the other hand, it’s all good. “For the students, it’s also less stressful. People are less aggressive than usual. The lessons are more effective, because you waste less time in traffic jams. You almost hope that it will last, even if you are realizes that the health situation is really hard, the health system is put to the test … “