French Infrastructure Orientation Council, which includes officials and specialists in the field, has presented a report of three potential transport investment scenarios over the next 20 years. Suggestions include urgent projects: rehabilitation of existing infrastructure networks, both railway and road.
The first scenario considers investments of EUR 48 billion for the next 20 years and corresponds to maintaining the existing budget. However, the sum will not permit the development of the big planned projects or the approach of priorities: improved quality of services, reducing pollution and diminishing territorial irregularities.
The second scenario sets a EUR 60 billion budget, while the third a EUR 80 billion budget. To cover the budget rise, the Orientation Council proposes a better recovery of users’ costs by increasing the price of tickets, using a more significant share of the fee for TICPE energy products for transport projects and introducing new taxes.
The priorities of rail transport stipulated by the Orientation Council include the new Paris-Normandie, Provence-Côte d’Azur railways and Bordeaux-Toulouse high-speed railway, while the projects of the new Bordeaux-Dax railway and Montpellier-Perpignan high-speed railway are proposed for cancellation.
By the end of February, French Minister of Transport, Madame Elisabeth Borne, is to announce the decision made based on the recommendations of the Orientation Council, a decision that will be transposed into a mobility orientation law by April.
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