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The project has been under discussion for many years. But given the increasing density of road traffic, the growing number of vehicles and the consequent reduction in available parking spaces, the time seems ripe to propose a solution to relieve congestion in Gustavia. As a result, on Monday December 1, a free shuttle service between the Saint-Jean stadium and Gustavia was launched at 6am. The service will run on an experimental basis for eight months, to ensure its effectiveness. The service is off to a very slow start, with only two passengers on board between 6 and 8 a.m. on Monday.
"Some people are saying that Gustavia has become impassable, and I'm not far from thinking so", declared the president of the shopkeepers' association during the "territorial meetings" organized on Thursday November 13 at the Collectivité. Traders are the primary target of the experimental service. The aim is to enable people working in Gustavia to avoid having to drive to work in their own vehicles, which they will now be able to park in Saint-Jean before taking a shuttle to work. In fact, the Chambre économique multiprofessionnelle (Cem) states in a press release that the shuttle is "reserved for Gustavia residents and workers".
Until 1 a.m.?
The service will start at 6am and run until 9pm. Initially, as the Collectivité territoriale, the Comité du tourisme and the Cem, who have been working together on the project, plan to postpone the end of the service until 1am. The aim is to add restaurant employees to the list of shuttle users, along with those from shops and other businesses. For the time being, however, the first step is to convince potential users.
The shuttle departs from the Saint-Jean stadium. Users of the shuttle service will be able to park their vehicles on the land on which the future school complex is to be built, in the stadium parking lot or in the funeral home car park opposite the entrance to the Saint-Jean cemetery. Each vehicle has a capacity of 22 spaces.
Four stops and a QR code
After leaving Saint-Jean, four stops will mark the outward journey: in the Public zone (opposite CCPF), in the cobbled Rue du Général de Gaulle (just past the Sélect), in front of the Post Office and, finally, at the Hôtel de la Collectivité territoriale.
On the return journey, the stops will be as follows: at the corner of rue Samuel Fahlberg and rue Jeanne D'Arc, in front of the territorial police, at Public and then at the Saint-Jean stadium.
The stops are, of course, fixed, as they are marked on the ground. No timetable has been set. According to estimates, the shuttle will run every 15 to 30 minutes. "You will be able to follow the shuttle in real time via the Collectivité's "smartphone" application," says Cem in a press release.
While the service is free for the time being, you will be asked to present a QR code at the shuttle entrance. To obtain it, it is necessary to register via the Collectivité application.
The Collectivité has awarded the transport contract to two companies. SAS DMV Transports for the morning service (6 a.m. to 1 p.m.) and SARL St Barth Sensation for the afternoon and evening service (1 p.m. to 9 p.m.). For both lots, it is specified in the Executive Council decision ratified on November 10 that "the maximum order value is 200,000 euros for the firm tranche and 250,000 euros for the optional tranche". The firm tranche covers the eight-month trial period, while the optional tranche will apply in the event of a one-year extension of the commissioning period.
