Île-de-France Mobilités is changing the interior layout of buses for better comfort for passengers

Bus at the stop
Île-de-France Mobilités is changing the interior layout of buses for better comfort for passengers

1 – A new standard of comfort for all buses in the Ile-de-France region

  • More safety thanks to cameras and reinforced lighting, including under the seats.
  • Easier movement inside the bus with a wider central aisle and a third exit door
  • More comfort: USB sockets, standing supports, folding seats, space for bulky objects, seat comfort and light work
  • Enhanced accessibility with differentiated and clearly identified spaces for wheelchairs and strollers and seats reserved for fragile people of another colour to allow quick identification
  • Clearer and more homogeneous passenger information thanks to a common identity (signs, landmarks and codes common in all buses) as well as the possibility of broadcasting audio messages (for example to remind them of the possibility of stopping on demand in the evening)
  • Enhanced cleanliness thanks to materials designed to be easy to maintain.

2 – Economies of scale

Île-de-France Mobilités is currently financing the renewal by operators of their fleets, which represent, in total, 9,500 buses in Île-de-France. The approach of standardizing equipment that contributes to passenger comfort has many operational and economic advantages:

  • Simplified maintenance (standardised spare parts),
  • Easier operation: the vehicles are the same everywhere, which facilitates the management of operating changes (occasional reinforcements, breakdowns, etc.)
  • Economies of scale: large-scale production limits the number of references and makes it possible to acquire at a lower cost.

3 – A reflection to anticipate the arrival of competition

The transport network in Île-de-France must constitute a single transport network. Île-de-France Mobilités is the guarantor of the quality of service provided.

The timetable for the competitive bidding of transport operators is set by law:

  • 2021 for buses in the outer suburbs
  • 2024 for RATP buses

4 – A common design for all buses in the Ile-de-France region

With a livery in the colours of Île-de-Mobilités for all new buses and common specifications for the interior design of the buses for future markets, Île-de-France Mobilités has defined a common design for all buses in the Île-de-France region, which contributes to strengthening the identity of public transport in Île-de-France.

Zoom: the example of the Île-de-France Mobilités fabric

A range of 16 colours has been defined by Île-de-France Mobilités, which will now make it possible to equip all trains, metros, buses and trams with various colour combinations depending on the project.

There are several objectives to this approach:

  • Economic efficiency: rationalization of fabric orders and industrialization of a single range of fabrics rather than several dozen at present
  • Ease of replenishment, maintenance and storage for carriers
  • Definition of homogeneous and efficient quality standards for the composition of the fabric (resistance to wear, ease of cleaning, etc.)
  • Developing a coherent system for the network in the eyes of passengers

The pattern ("Territory") of this fabric was chosen by the inhabitants of the Ile-de-France region in July 2017 during an online consultation: this motif (among three choices) won 43% of the votes of the 70,000 Ile-de-France residents who visited the website dedicated to the consultation.

The pattern is made up of coloured lines, similar to the lines of the transport network, which are superimposed on a tone-on-tone background.

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Air conditioning on buses

The question of comfort and in particular "Climate comfort" is not an incidental issue, it is at the heart of Île-de-France Mobilités' concerns in order to improve transport conditions for all Ile-de-France residents.

• Thanks to the massive renewal of trains launched with the Transport Revolution (67% of the 708 trains have already been ordered), air conditioning in trains will increase significantly.

• In the metros, trains on lines 1, 2, 5 and 9 have refrigerated ventilation, as well as part of those on line 14. The renewal of the trains on the other lines is underway, starting with line 4 and line 11, which will also benefit from refrigerated ventilation.

• All tram lines have air conditioning except Tram 1. But the renewal of the trains is planned for 2022.

• From 2019, the new buses purchased by Île-de-France Mobilités will be equipped with soft air conditioning.
This decision follows work undertaken in consultation with FNAUT, aimed at defining the climatic comfort conditions adapted to the different types of buses.
Manufacturers will be called upon to make optimised proposals for refrigerated ventilation in future calls for tenders.

This air conditioning project in buses is part of a broader desire to improve comfort in buses in Île-de-France with a complete reflection on the interior design of buses.