Did you know that 6.6 million passengers boarded CAM buses in 2023, a figure on par with pre-pandemic levels but less than the numbers recorded a decade ago.
So there already function major alternative means of transportation beyond personal vehicles. We just need to expand them and the transportation ministry led by Céline Caron-Dagioni is spearheading efforts to enhance Monaco’s bus network.
At the forefront of this upcoming initiative is the trial of new express bus routes slated to begin at the end of the first quarter.
Express Bus Routes
Monaco’s forthcoming express bus routes promise streamlined travel experiences with fewer stops and strategic routing to circumvent traffic bottlenecks, particularly around Monte-Carlo. Among the notable routes, Line 6D will connect the Louis-II stadium to Larvotto, offering a scenic seaside journey on the outbound leg and utilizing rue Grimaldi for the return trip.
The journey is expected to take just 15 minutes and will run on weekdays between 7am and 7pm. It will be called the Ligne 6D and start at the Stade Louis II before taking a coastal route via Avenue Kennedy to Larvotto and heading back along the Rue Grimaldi on the return trip.
A start date for the trial line is yet to be announced.
Meanwhile, the East-West Express line is poised to link Fontvieille and Saint-Roman, leveraging the Dorsal route to optimize connectivity between the country’s two farthest points.
On Demand Mini-Buses
In a bid to further revolutionize transportation accessibility, Monaco is also venturing into on-demand transit services. Residents in neighborhoods like Plati, Fleurs, and Annonciade will soon have access to electric minibuses on a request basis via a dedicated app. This innovative approach aims to cater to localized transportation needs efficiently.
It will pick you up at a given, quite central point in your neighbourhood, and take you along dedicated routes through the town centre.
Electric 8-seater mini-buses will complement existing bus routes and will be able to pick up several users, but only from the specific bus stops in the different neighbourhoods. In the long term, this system is also intended to replace the night bus service.
In addition to these innovations, the Government wishes to continue to encourage motorists to park in car parks at the edge of town. There is a subscription «package» at Les Salines car park, and a discount policy, of up to 50% on a subscription, is reported to be introduced in similar car parks.
Greening the town through «soft mobility»
“Soft mobility” was also highlighted in Monaco’s Mobility Strategy including Monabike in particular. There are “remarkable usage levels” of the self-service bicycle system, which logged more than 600,000 trips in 2023, up 23% compared to 2022. 9 additional stations will be built this year, and nearly 200 additional bikes put into service. While the use of bicycles is encouraged by the Government, pedestrians are far from forgotten. As an example, the ‘Greening the town’ policy, the first phase of which will “reconnect” the La Condamine and Jardin Exotique districts. This will take the form of aerial walkways and completely landscaped sections, from the highest point in Monaco to the lowest.
TRAINS:
Of course a big part of the mobility solution is trains.
The Principality is a major SNCF customer, as is the Monegasque station, which reached peak passenger numbers in 2023 (7,800,000 passengers compared with 7,500,000 in 2019). “It’s efficient, low-carbon, and attracts a large number of passengers,” adds the Minister, speaking of the TER, “the key to managing cross-border traffic.”
Monaco continues to invest in rail traffic
Discussions are well underway with the Government’s three contacts: SNCF Voyageurs, SNCF Gare & Connexions and SNCF Réseaux. For the 2024 budget, the priority will be investment in the ERTMS (European Rail Traffic Management System). “It’s essential, it’s the system that will enable us to increase train frequency.”
At the request of SNCF Réseaux, Monaco is investing €11 million in this electronic system.
The timings also coincide with the change of rail operator that the Southern Region opted for in 2021, following the launch of a call for tenders. It is the first region where SNCF no longer has a monopoly. The handover between SNCF and Transdev, the new operator, will take place next year. A more frequent, more punctual service is promised.
CARS:
The Cap d’Ail underpass and the Saint-Roman interchange
The new “Monaco Est” motorway slip road has been in service since 10 January 2024. Two further projects are on the Minister’s desk at present. First the Cap d’Ail underpass, with preparatory work due to begin at the end of the year, led by the Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur. The Principality, believes this 2-lane underpass “is important to ease traffic in the Rainier III tunnel,”.
As the work being carried out in Roquebrune Cap-Martin – to modernise the water infrastructure on avenue Jean Jaurès and then avenue Louis Laurens – should be completed by April, according to the CARF, Monaco will be able to turn its attention to the Saint-Roman interchange to make this roundabout more efficient, queues can form there.
CAR PARKS:
The new Les Salines car park
With just over 1,820 spaces, the Les Salines car park will soon be completed, near the Jardin Exotique, before the Monaco Grand Prix.
And to facilitate access to the centre of Monaco for future occupants of the car park, it will have a bus station served by two new Express bus routes.
- X1: Jardin Exotique to Place d’Armes.
- X2: from Jardin Exotique to Monte-Carlo.
An underground pedestrian link will complete access to the car park, providing a direct link to the Fontvieille district.
The government also intends to create a La Brasca car park a few hundred metres away as the crow flies. Unlike the car park at the town limits, this one would be called a “deterrent car park.” The La Brasca site is located in Eze. There is to be an underground link, the mode of transport has not yet been decided, but it covers 2 kilometres, arriving directly in Fontvieille district.
