Français
According to the Saint-Barth d'Abord opposition group, all the projects launched under this mandate have come to a standstill. In a text posted on a social network on Friday February 7, the opposition members expressed their concern at the delay in the construction of the cultural center and the 139-space underground parking lot (JSB 1603). The group also questioned the progress of the urban shuttle, one of their election campaign projects. "The lack of progress testifies to a lack of coordination and insufficient political will to implement concrete solutions for residents," they claim on their post. Do these concerns reflect reality, or the lack of communication within this fractured territorial council?
A request from shopkeepers
Several months ago, the shopkeepers' association approached the Chambre économique multiprofessionnelle (Cem) to express their difficulties in parking in Gustavia to access their place of work. "Merchants park in the same spaces as customers, so they're seeing a drop in sales," explains Grégory Guérot, head of the training department. The Cem then worked with the Collectivité on a shuttle project that would meet the needs of the entire population, as the Com was already working in parallel on its mobility plan. Traders were hoping for a rapid implementation, as early as the 2024-2025 tourist season. But to date, nothing is yet operational. We've tried to push the project forward, but the administrative side of things takes time," sighs Grégory Guérot. On the Cem side too, we wanted to get things done as quickly as possible, but we wanted local people to get the contracts, and it takes a long time to set up this type of project. "The President of the Collectivité now assures us that the urban shuttle can be launched as early as October, to be operational for the next tourist season. "The mobility project will not be exhaustive from the outset, but will progress step by step," explains local councillor Fabrice Querrard. The shuttle between Saint-Jean and Gustavia is intended to represent the first stage of this mobility plan. CEREMA, a public institution with expertise in regional planning, first visited the island in 2024 to establish a diagnosis of the area's mobility needs. A more specific service provider for the technical implementation of the line was commissioned by the Collectivité. This consulting firm based in Martinique provided its expertise, in particular to fine-tune the installation points, as well as the shuttle frequency. The experts visited the site to gain a better understanding of the area and to meet the professionals concerned by such a mobility plan, such as cabs, shopkeepers and transporters.
Stadium - Community
Last month, the consultancy firm submitted their diagnosis to the local authorities. A working document that still needs to be refined, stressed one of the consulting firm's experts. He did not wish to comment on the subject, as the Collectivité had asked him not to. According to initial analyses, the shuttle could leave from Saint-Jean, at the stadium, and then make various stops: the Public industrial zone, the ferry terminal, in front of the Sélect, at the junction of rue Fahlberg and rue du bord de Mer, the Post Office, the future Halle aux poissons, the Collectivité. On the way back, the shuttle could make a stop at the hospital, another in front of the school complex and a final stop opposite the Territorial Police, before leaving Gustavia via the Dispensary. "What scares me is that we're launching this without the necessary infrastructure," worries local councillor Dimitri Lédée, who worked on the project before it was taken over by the Environment Department. Fabrice Querrard assures us that the local authority has the necessary land to build all these stops. As far as parking is concerned, the parking spaces around the Saint-Jean stadium will be sufficient, insists the Chairman of the Public Purchasing Commission. The type of vehicles has not yet been defined. Ideally, if the recharging system permits, electric vehicles will be preferred.
Undefined fares
A 22-seater bus could meet demand. "The terms and conditions in terms of passengers have not yet been decided", says Fabrice Querrard. To be clear, it has not yet been decided whether this shuttle would be exclusively dedicated to shopkeepers working in Gustavia. According to initial proposals, the shuttle could be accessible from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the high season. With rotations from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m., then from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.. Six rotations per slot are suggested. Another outstanding question is pricing. Will the shuttle be paid for or free? Merchants are ready to put their hand in their pocket," assures Grégory Guérot. Some are already paying 400 to 500 euros a month for a parking space. "In the next few days, a complete project proposal will be presented to the elected representatives. If an agreement can be reached, they will be able to decide on the rates and launch the contracts. If this first line proves successful, a Lorient - Saint-Jean circuit could be envisaged.
