En tant qu’autorité organisatrice des transports publics interurbains, le Conseil Général de la Gironde gère 64 lignes régulières toute l’année et des centaines de services scolaires. Avec 379 communes desservies, le réseau TransGironde se distingue par son envergure et une offre de plus en plus complète.

Accessibility and equality

The aim of the Conseil Général is to bring areas together, and to improve existing services. Concrete action to promote local travel has been put in place in the context of local transport initiatives, in partnership with the Commune Communities. Also, some successful initiatives have been repeated from year to year, like the Beach Buses, which are so important in making our seaside resorts accessible to families and young people in Gironde.

So whether we are concerned with regular journeys or just occasional trips, for business or pleasure, transport provision in Gironde offers a range of services and possibilities, matching the needs of our users as closely as possible. The school transport service, another of the Département's responsibilities, consists of 1,000 routes and more than 64 regular lines taken every day by 50,000 pupils.

While ensuring the development and modernisation of the transport system, the Conseil Général is also working to improve accessibility. To guarantee everyone in Gironde the right to public transport: this is a priority. To achieve this involves a fare system adapted to all categories of users, and provision of a transport service, including isolated areas.

The departmental plan for accessibility to the TransGironde network for the disabled was adopted by the general assembly in December 2008. It is aimed at all types of disabilities, whether they are motor, sensory or cognitive. Implementation begins in 2009. Work on making all stops accessible will begin first on the busiest lines and bus stops. However, stops can only be modified if they are conveniently located and if it is technically feasible.

Intermodality

In conjunction with this policy of accessibility, intermodality is a crucial issue.

Intermodality means the use of several modes of transport on the same journey. The aim is to reduce the use of the private car and hence of the pollution that it causes in favour of a combination of different, less polluting modes of transport: public transport systems, pollution-free options (walking, cycling, rollerblading, etc.), car pooling, car-sharing... In order to develop intermodality we must first ensure that suitable transport alternatives are available to replace the private car.

If public transport is to be an efficient alternative to the private car, it has to be made more attractive.

To achieve this, the following factors are important:

• It must be easier to use
• There must be more flexibility: possible to transfer easily from one mode of transport to another
• It must be more comfortable
• There must be better connections both in terms of timetables and connection points, making it easy to change from one type of transport to another (exchange poles)
• Public transport should be cheaper
• All relevant information must be available to everyone

The Conseil Général de la Gironde has become involved in this project in several ways:

• MODALIS Card. A single smart card gives access to different modes of transport: TransGironde buses, TBC network (Bordeaux trams and buses)
• Smart card: since 2006 the TransGironde bus network has adopted a new system for checking tickets. From now on, card-holders have a smart card that they can top up, and the other passengers have a paper ticket. This state-of-the-art technology is compatible with other methods of transport like the tram or the bus and soon the TER.

With this system, we have a more reliable idea of the numbers using the lines and in time we can adapt services and timetables accordingly.

Exchange poles

The Conseil Général de la Gironde is a partner in the creation of the exchange poles. They are the essential links in the chain of public transport journeys. They are places where different types of transport inter-connect. The aim is to create optimal conditions encouraging people to abandon their private vehicle in favour of one or several types of public transport:

o - bringing the modes of transport on a site geographically closer together: interurban buses, city buses, trams, cycles, taxis, cars, pedestrians...

o - improving parking facilities (cars, but also cycles),

o - making journeys smoother, more comfortable and more straightforward,

o - providing multimodal information (giving information about all modes of transport present at the pole),

o - reassigning nearby public spaces.

Examples of exchange poles in Gironde:

Connecting with the tram: some are already operational, e.g. Quinconces, Lormont-La Buttinière, Talence-Peixotto, Stalingrad, Pessac-Unitec, Mérignac-centre, Ravezies-Les Aubiers and Bordeaux-St Jean railway station.

Connecting with the Aquitaine TER train network: Langon, Biganos, La Réole, St André de Cubzac, Lesparre, Libourne, Biganos, Marcheprime.

In order to improve connections, the Conseil Général is contributing financially to the plan to improve stations like Bordeaux-St Jean, St André de Cubzac, Biganos (feasibility study adopted) and the bus station at Libourne.

Download the leaflet about the Bordeaux-St Jean exchange pole

Since the tram came into service, the Conseil Général de la Gironde has been committed to intermodality by connecting up the TransGironde network with the exchange poles in the Bordeaux area.

When the new Transport Plan was drafted, it was decided that the TransGironde lines would be organised as follows:

Development of multimodal information

The Conseil Général de la Gironde hopes soon to put in place a mobility information centre in order to improve information provision for travellers. Multimodal information will provide any user of one or several modes of transport with details about all aspects of his journey.

Multimodal information services can take several different forms: information on existing methods of transport, working out routes, displaying or sending out timetables, traffic conditions, information about reservations, fares, parking, waiting times.... The information can be distributed in different ways: on-line information on the website, information desks in the exchange poles, mobile phone, indicator boards...

Inspections

The Département is the public authority responsible for organising the transport system, and in this capacity is able to carry out the checks that it considers necessary at any time on board the vehicles. The aim is to have a network that is efficient and safe.

Inspectors on the TransGironde network are responsible for ensuring that the operators respect the rules imposed on them (timetables and routes, vehicle standards, safety, passenger information, equipment used) and also the public who use the system (checking passenger tickets, intervening when cases of anti-social behaviour have been notified).

Conseil Général de la Gironde inspectors work in partnership with the officials of the different operators in the TransGironde network.

Equipping the TransGironde network

The Conseil Général equips the TransGironde network with bus stops and shelters

• Harmonisation of our lines

The buses and lines are currently being harmonised, with new graphics and livery which will give a better differentiation between the public lines and the school lines. The colours are as follows:

- orange for public lines
- blue for school lines

• Requests for bus shelters

The network currently has 850 bus shelters.

When a mayor wants an official stop to have a shelter, he must make a written request to the Conseil Général. The Département will provide 90% of the finance for the shelter, and the commune is requested to pay the remainder.