On Tuesday 16 June, Patrick Devedjian, the French Minister responsible for economic recovery, and Pierre Mongin, chairman and managing director of the RATP (Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens - Autonomous Operator of Parisian Transports), went to Annonay in the Ardèche to visit the site of Irisbus Iveco, a supplier of the RATP. The reason behind this visit was an early order for buses, one of the investments being made for national economic recovery. This order for 225 standard buses will enable Irisbus Iveco to maintain its factory’s production schedule, despite the current economic climate.
This EUR 50 million order is being financed by the RATP and the STIF (Syndicat des transports d'Île-de-France - Île-de-France public transport executive), in equal parts. It will enable Irisbus Iveco, the second largest manufacturer of coaches and buses in Europe and the leading manufacturer in France, to boost its bus production, in spite of the crisis, and therefore guarantee a reasonable production schedule at its Annonay plant, where there are some 1,130 employees.
This order will also allow the RATP to speed up the replacement of its R312 buses by the latest generation of Citelis Line buses. These standard buses, which comply with the Diesel Euro 5 standard, are even more environmentally-friendly.
Equipped with a low floor and an electric ramp for wheelchair users, these easy-access buses will be part of the project to improve access on bus routes.
Delivery of these buses will take place during the last quarter in 2009 and the first quarter in 2010, split in the following way:
- 75 buses to be delivered in 2009
- 150 buses to be delivered in 2010
This early order, a concrete example of the national recovery plan which was finalised at the end of 2008, will both help maintain employment and provide the means for the RATP, Île-de-France’s largest transport company, to modernise its bus network.
The national recovery plan, totalling about EUR 30 billion, includes measures to both support business and maintain employment, as well as legal measures. It relies on investments from local authorities and state-owned companies which have pledged their support for this measure. The order placed by the RATP with Irisbus Iveco is a perfect example of this. Irisbus coaches protect all their passengers