No maritime shuttles between Nice and Monaco before 2026
This was the flagship project to unclog the access roads to the Principality.
First scheduled for the summer of 2021, then postponed to early 2022, the first crossings will not take place for several years. The first, then the second call for tenders launched by the Lignes d’Azur board for ecological boarding were unsuccessful. And for good reason, such a service must be created from scratch.
The Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis therefore organized a “sourcing”. And according to the manufacturers interviewed by 20 minutes, “the commissioning of a range of regular hydrogen or 100% electric shuttles integrated into public transport”could not be operational before 2026.
At the same time, the Métropole is considering setting up boats equipped with hydrofoils, a sort of underwater wing. Among them, the carbon-free invention of an American company presented last week at the Transition Forum in Nice. Regent Craft develops a futuristic engine “half boat half high-speed plane” which circulates at “over 200 km/h top speed and 2.50 m above water”according to the community contacted by our colleagues.
First trials in the United States
Tests are carried out in Florida. They will concern a prototype allowing to embark initially twelve passengers, then 100. The Metropolis specified that Christian Estrosi had concluded ” a deal “ with this company “to test this new mode of transport from Nice” in 2024 and thus achieve “a very first in Europe”.
This option, which could be operational in 2027, could be carried out for passengers to do Nice-Monaco in just twenty minutes.