Free public transport in Valenciennes Métropole and La Porte du Hainaut until the end of 2026

In response to rising fuel prices, public transport in Valenciennes Métropole and La Porte du Hainaut, two urban communities located in the North, will be free until the end of the year, the president of the local transport authority announced to AFP on Thursday.

“From October 1 to December 31, 2026, public transport will be free throughout the territory,” said Arnaud Bavay, president of the Valenciennois intercommunal mobility and urban organization union (SIMOUV), confirming information from the newspaper La Voix du Nord. The president of Valenciennes Métropole, Laurent Degallaix (Horizons), the president of La Porte du Hainaut, Aymeric Robin (PCF), and Arnaud Bavay agreed on this measure during a meeting on Tuesday, the latter indicated.

For three months, “everyone will be able to travel for free on public transport”, on the two tram lines, on the entire bus network and on-demand transport. The objective is “to reduce the cost of travel” for the 350,000 inhabitants of the two urban communities, “faced with rising fuel prices”, added Arnaud Bavay, without specifying whether non-residents could also benefit from free travel. This temporary measure will be “subject to an evaluation” to “measure the effects of this experiment” and “draw lessons from it”.

In France, around forty communities have made their public transport free for all travelers, including Dunkirk, or the metropolis of Montpellier and its 31 municipalities.