return sea shuttles for the summer period
The RTM maritime shuttles resumed their summer service last weekend in Marseille. They connect the Old Port to L’Estaque or La Pointe Rouge.
On the 57 km of the coasts of the harbor of Marseille, the maritime shuttles made their return this weekend and this until September 25th. It is a fleet of five boats that connect the Old Port to L’Estaque or La Pointe Rouge. May 26 will be added to the Pointe Rouge-Les Goudes link.
This service is offered by the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis and the Régie des Transports Métropolitains (RTM). The shuttle also relieves road access to the Calanques National Park during the summer.
On the tariff side, access is included for the 200,000 RTM subscribers. For other travellers, the price is between €5 and €8.
375,000 passengers in 2021
This maritime transport with a capacity of 100 passengers per crossing is popular. According to the RTM, in 2021, 375,000 passengers were boarded to sail at 20 knots, or just under 40 km/h.
This year, vacationers are already there. Franck Thual has been on vacation since Saturday with his grandson in Marseille. Since their arrival, they have taken advantage of the maritime shuttles.
“As a tourist, I took the RTM subscription card, so we take advantage of it. We go to the Old Port by shuttle, we go to L’Estaque, we take advantage of all the advantages of the RTM network” , explains the latter at the microphone of BFM Marseille Provence.
Functionality required for RTM
An offer with a cost of 1.5 million euros per line and 450,000€ for the link to Les Goudes. So the RTM preferred to focus on its offer over this five-month summer period.
“We had tested an annual system, but which was not up to the budget invested. We had journeys without passengers and the maximum number of passengers was five on certain crossings”, explains Catherine Pila, the president of the RTM. .
From May, the shuttle timetables will be extended, with departures in the evening.