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Tourist buses are no longer welcome on the Old Port in Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône). The city has decided to ban their circulation in a large part of the neighborhood. Elected officials talk about the desire to reduce pollution and nuisances.
This text corresponds to part of the transcription of the report above. Click on the video to watch it in full.
Until then, they were part of the landscape on the Old Port: tourist buses. Eric and Alain are delighted to see the Good Mother again when they have their morning coffee. “It degrades the image of the Old Port a little. It causes traffic congestion. I would like us to bring the Old Port back to the people of Marseillais,” they denounce.
In the Old Port, tourist buses are now prohibited from driving and parking all year round. This was already the case this summer. A restaurateur saw the difference. “It was a little calmer in terms of tourism and we felt less of the buses coming,” says Lucas Fédérici, restaurateur. His neighbor is very pessimistic about the upcoming activity. “There will be layoffs, there will be a lot of things to do. It will be a catastrophe for us. It will be a slow death”shares Azédine Ziani, pizza chef.
Every year, 2.5 million cruise passengers pass through Marseille (Bouches-du-Rhône). The flow of tourists is now poured 500 meters from the Old Port. And for excursions, you have to take another route, to the great dismay of the drivers. “It’s double-file, triple-file, it’s traffic jams and we’re very inconvenienced. And to go around, you need to allow 20 to 30 minutes more. That’s 30 minutes less for Marseille commerce”deplores Ali Benkritly, bus driver.
For its part, the town hall ensures that alternative solutions can be put in place. “The buses can park further in the district, then the tourist operators can develop a circuit passing through the Panier to come to the Old Port. We are not obliged to stop in front of the town hall to visit Marseille. That is to say, we have buses which stop in front of the town hall, which exit, which take a photo of the town hall and which get back on the bus. This is not the tourism we want in this city”, explains Anthony Krejhmeier, mayor (PS) of the 2nd and 3rd arrondissements of Marseille.
For the cruise passengers met, the measure is appreciated. “It’s not a problem for me, I prefer to discover a city on foot”indicates a tourist. Contacted, the National Passenger Transport Federation said it was considering an appeal to the administrative court.
