Shuttle: a "seduction operation" to be fine-tuned

A wave of the hand, a smile, a check-in on the driver's terminal and the passenger is on the shuttle. Since the experimental launch (for a period of eight months) of the shuttle service between the Saint-Jean stadium and Gustavia, more than 1,700 passengers have been registered via the Collectivité territoriale's smartphone application. On average, this figure (around 130 passenger boardings per day) is extremely encouraging. Nevertheless, the seduction operation has not really been conclusive. At least not yet.
The quality of service is not in question. The drivers welcome their passengers in the friendliest of manners, the timetables are respected (around a quarter of an hour to get to the Collectivité hotel stop and around thirty minutes to get back to the stadium, depending on traffic density) and the vehicles are comfortable. What seems to be lacking, for what remains a start, is understanding and apprehension of the operation and accessibility of the system.

A lack of understanding
Just yesterday (Wednesday, December 17), an Internet user living on the island expressed his regret that access to the shuttle was "limited to Gustavia residents and not to those who live on the island".residents of Gustavia and not to those coming from the other end of the island", while another wondered whether "you have to pay anything". The step of downloading the Collectivité application followed by online registration has also lost some potential passengers. However, there is no doubt that explanations provided by friends and family, or after consulting the posters and documents made available to users, will help to clarify these misunderstandings. For those who have a smartphone and wish to use it. Which is not the case for everyone.
On Friday December 12, almost two weeks after the shuttle went into service, the President of the Collectivité organized an inauguration ceremony in front of the Saint-Jean stadium. Edouard Lacour, president of the shopkeepers' association, took the opportunity to stress the importance of the shuttle for Gustavia's workers. As far as perceptions in Gustavia are concerned, they're still divided," he says. There are always people who think it won't work. But, on the whole, everyone who takes it is delighted. It allows them to arrive with a smile on their face, without having to leave too early and spend three quarters of an hour looking for a place. Even if we can't yet see the effects on parking. The introduction of the pound will undoubtedly do some good. "

"Socially interesting
In fact, all the passengers interviewed said they were satisfied, if not delighted, to have such a service at their disposal. And it's free. We can see that it brings a breath of fresh air to Gustavia," says Edouard Lacour. The people who come on board are from different trades, different generations, they talk, they exchange, so we feel that socially it's an interesting project for Gustavia and for Saint-Barth. "
Convinced, the president of the shopkeepers' association is already expressing the wish to see the shuttle service extended over time and extended to other areas of the island. "For years, we didn't need it, but now we do," he declares. In particular, to improve business traffic. Gustavia is saturated and congested, for tourists and locals alike, so if we carry on like this we'll be heading for disaster," asserts Edouard Lacour. But people also need to understand that we're not asking them to take the shuttle every day. "
Davy Gumbs drives one of the vehicles. He confirms the satisfaction of the people who use the new service. They talk to each other, and don't bother to find a parking space," he explains. There are also quite a few young people living in Gustavia who use the shuttle to come to Saint-Jean to play sports. Some people also use it to go shopping at U. "
In short, the service has already convinced its users of its usefulness. On the other hand, those who are undecided are struggling to be convinced. As a result, the seduction operation still needs to be fine-tuned.