The French Parliament adopted on 30th July a
law on devolution of powers from the State to
local authorities, which contains a chapter on
public transport in the region of Paris Ile-de-
France (11 million inhabitants).
According to
this law, the French State, which currently has
the majority of stakes in STIF, the regional
public transport authority, will withdraw totally
as of 2005.
STIF will be presided over by the
President of the Regional council, and its new
board of directors will comprise representatives
of the Region, of the City of Paris, of the
other counties of the region, of the Regional
Chamber of Trade and Industry, and of local
authorities.
The State will compensate the
Region for the cost of this transfer of power.
Besides, the law will bring new competencies
to STIF, such as the responsibility of school
transport and on-demand services, the
definition and the implementation of the
urban mobility plan (PDU), and lastly the
possibility to carry out infrastructure projects
itself.
The law also makes it possible for STIF to
devolve some of its competencies, aside from
the fare policy, to local authorities, so as to
bring decision making closer to the citizens in
a large territory of 12,000km2.