Since 2007, Tout’enbus has been transforming mobility in Ardèche into a model of sustainable and efficient transportation within the territory of the Communauté de Communes du Bassin d’Aubenas.
Johan Deleuze, the head of the Tout’enbus network since its inception in 2007, has played a key role in the development of this urban transportation service in Ardèche. Responding to a growing demand for alternatives to the car, the network was designed to improve local mobility while considering the specific needs of residents. Johan has overseen the establishment of transport lines, administrative organization, and the integration of new technologies. The network, which has experienced notable growth and continuous improvement in service quality, is now a model for other communities.
JOHAN DELEUZE’S EXPERIENCE REPORT: HEAD OF THE TOUT’ENBUS NETWORK
Johan, could you introduce yourself?
I’m Johan Deleuze, and I’ve been the head of the Tout’enbus urban transportation service since its inception in 2007.
Originally, what motivated you to get involved in the field of mobility?
I have a Master’s degree in territorial development, and I wanted to return to Ardèche. Urban planning and mobility have always interested me, and I wanted to contribute to the development of my region;
In 2006, there was a minor oil crisis that made people realize that owning a car was becoming increasingly expensive. It was a timely moment for me to invest in Ardèche, respond to the residents’ needs, and explore mobility solutions.
The goal was to serve the people of Ardèche, develop initiatives that improve their daily lives. Of course, the gorges and tourism are important aspects, but there is also a whole local life that needs support.
Can you provide us with the context for the creation of the mobility offering?
In 2007, the Community of Communes of the Aubenas-Vals area initiated a study on housing and transportation in response to residents’ expectations expressed through a questionnaire sent to 600 people. To the surprise of the elected officials, transportation was clearly the residents’ top priority, whereas other services such as a swimming pool or early childhood facilities might have been expected.
Overall, it was assumed that all residents had easy mobility and access to cars, but this was not the case at all.
This led to the creation of a detailed specification for an in-depth study on housing and mobility. Following the study’s conclusions, the officials decided to commit further to improving mobility by launching a detailed study to establish transportation services across two communities.
How is a transportation service developed in a region like Aubenas?
Actually, I was tasked with overseeing the initial study, setting up the transportation service, and planning its organization. When I refer to the service, I mean not only the routes but also the administrative aspects. Several options were considered.
Regarding the routes, my good knowledge of the area and the movement patterns allowed me to quickly establish suitable lines. On the administrative side, various possibilities were explored, and we chose to create a single-purpose transportation syndicate with the willing municipalities from both communities to manage the transport lines.
To establish a network, it’s crucial to have a thorough understanding of the territory. This includes an in-depth understanding of its economic aspects, housing, and general functioning. It’s also essential to have a good grasp of traffic flow. By observing where people travel by car, the times they move, such as work start and end times, peak periods, etc., you can gather valuable insights.
Our approach aims to avoid disrupting the existing network. This involves finding route variations or scheduling adjustments to meet user needs while ensuring the smooth operation of the service. This is how we built our network.
What were the initial feedbacks from the implementation of the service?
We decided to conduct a two-year trial to evaluate the usage of the Tout’enbus urban network. At that time, the Ardèche department was responsible for mobility, and we had their approval.
Starting in 2009, following a fairly successful test, we established a dedicated entity, the transport syndicate, which initially included 6 municipalities. Today, this syndicate has 11 members. We integrated them gradually and expanded our service area between 2009 and 2019.
At the same time, we broadened our scope to include more aspects of mobility. We developed additional services such as bike rentals, carpool parking lots, and a car-sharing service.
In 2017, the Community of Communes of the Aubenas-Vals area became the Community of Communes of the Aubenas Basin, and the Mobility Orientation Law was adopted in 2019. What were the impacts of these changes on the mobility service?
In 2019, the LOM (Mobility Orientation Law) transferred mobility responsibilities to the Communities of Communes. The Community of Communes of the Aubenas Basin chose not to retain this responsibility for several reasons: it was not sufficiently structured in terms of staffing, and it would have impacted internal organization since it would have required managing transportation across all the municipalities in the community.
As a result, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region became the new Mobility Organizing Authority. At the time, there was consideration of creating a mixed syndicate that would include several Communities of Communes and the Region. However, the deadlines imposed by the LOM were too tight, leading to the dissolution of the transport syndicate and the transfer of responsibility to the region as the Mobility Organizing Authority.
So, is it the region that manages the Tout’enbus network?
Yes and no. The region holds the responsibility for mobility, but it chose to delegate the operational management of the service to the Community of Communes of the Aubenas Basin. This is formalized through what is called a delegation agreement between the Region and the Community of Communes.
Essentially, the region delegates the management of the service to the Community of Communes while providing the funding. On our side, we are regional agents assigned to the Community of Communes to ensure this management.
Can you describe the Community of Communes?
The area served by the Tout’enbus service mainly includes urban and peri-urban municipalities around Aubenas. To give you an idea, the Community of Communes has 28 municipalities and a population of 45,000. The service itself covers 11 municipalities and 35,000 inhabitants, making it a densely populated urban area for Ardèche, with a concentration of public services, schools, and businesses, particularly in Aubenas, Lachapelle-sous-Aubenas, and Vals-les-Bains.
This urban focus was therefore logical. One day, an elderly person told me, ‘It’s great, thanks to the service, I can stay at home.’ She was supposed to move to a retirement home, but thanks to the mobility offered by the service, she was able to continue living at home. This shows that the Tout’enbus service also plays an important social role by supporting elderly people, young people, and those in financial difficulty or without a driving license.
Does the lack of a train station pose a real issue for mobility in the area?
Indeed, we no longer have a train station, but regional buses are available to travel to the Montélimar or Valence stations. However, railway lines are not being abandoned; instead, they are being converted into greenways and bike paths, providing a different service that promotes less polluting and more varied mobility. This represents an undeniable societal shift.
Since the creation of the service, many things have evolved. You now have facilities to accommodate travelers. Could you tell us more about this?
With the expansion of the mobility offering, the establishment of new routes, and the introduction of new technologies, we have gradually increased our staff.
In 2019-2020, we created the Maison de la Mobilité to integrate transportation into the daily lives of the residents of the area. This facility is designed to address all mobility-related inquiries, including not only public transportation but also hitchhiking, car-sharing, and carpooling.
What services do you offer at the Maison de la Mobilité?
At the Maison de la Mobilité, we offer services for local Tout’enbus transport, regional bus lines, and the sale of SNCF tickets on behalf of SNCF. The goal is to centralize information and sales related to mobility in one place.
We also assist users in understanding how transportation works, including tariffs and schedules, through small training sessions. For example, last week, I hosted representatives from Aubenas to explain how the service operates and its pricing. Although some are still discovering this information, there is much work to be done to effectively disseminate information to travelers.
We also provide tools such as mobility apps, like Hubup, which are increasingly used. Therefore, it is crucial to continue training and informing users about the network. Over the years, we have observed that people are more familiar with the network and use apps more frequently, leading to a reduction in complaints.
Thanks to the experience of the drivers, their use of Geolite, better knowledge of users, and the implementation of digital services, we have been able to improve the quality of the service.
What measures could you take to further improve the mobility offering?
We are considering developing new lines and/or optimizing the existing ones, but we must also address environmental concerns. Simply adding more buses is not always the ideal solution. It is crucial to optimize the service by focusing on the most populated hubs and considering urban planning and economic projects.
We aim to build a structured network with main lines and a few secondary lines, but it is not feasible to cover all areas. We also encourage local authorities to promote other modes of transportation such as carpooling, cycling, and walking.
For me, bus lines form the backbone of our mobility system, but it is essential to develop and integrate new forms and options of transportation.
Two aspects need to be considered: the duration of trips and the ability of the service to compete with cars. Currently, more and more people are opting for public transport to attend events like the Saturday morning market, where parking spaces in the city center quickly fill up during peak hours. Some people head to peripheral stops or nearby carpool parking before taking the bus.
We are also considering developing a more direct connection between the train station and the city center. The idea would be to establish a shuttle service with two vehicles every 15 minutes during peak hours, and a regular shuttle every 30 to 45 minutes at other times, between the station and the city center.
This project aims to achieve two main objectives: improving connectivity between the upper and lower neighborhoods for users and providing more accessible information. Additionally, it would help reduce the traffic of large vehicles in the city center by using the train station as the main terminus, with a shuttle system serving major stops like La Paix, the gendarmerie, and the bus station, which are the most frequented.
You mentioned environmental concerns and the conversion of railway lines into greenways. What other initiatives are being implemented to promote green mobility?
Various organizations are working on different mobility solutions. Currently, in Ardèche, it is common for a single person to own two cars, which is a real problem.
Why is this a problem?
Transportation options are quite limited, and services are sometimes distant. As a result, people continue to rely on their cars.
That said, new forms of mobility are being implemented with support from various communities, associations, and other organizations. For example, initiatives like those from the association Mobilité 07-26 help people with mobility difficulties by offering moped rentals, affordable solidarity driving licenses, and training on different transportation options and their costs.
Organizations and communities are also focusing on car-sharing, including offering electric vehicles for rent. For instance, the Community of Communes Privas Centre Ardèche is actively involved in these initiatives. Some associations are dedicated to bicycle repairs. Many structures are working on complementary mobility options to buses to develop a diverse range of transportation solutions.
It is also necessary to think about how to integrate and coordinate these new forms of mobility, such as accommodating bikes on buses or increasing frequencies near carpool parking areas.
Even though transportation services are in place, car use continues to grow. Today, I believe the transportation network has reached a certain level of maturity. It is crucial to observe the evolution of housing, services, and new mobility forms to adapt and create complementary transportation services accordingly.
With your available budget, how do you manage to meet the needs of the largest number of passengers?
We strive to optimize the network and our resources. However, there are costs to consider. It is difficult to justify having lines with only one passenger per trip. Of course, for that one person on board, it may seem unreasonable. However, as a public service, our goal is to serve the largest number of users possible.
How do you optimize the service based on passenger counts?
We use our ticketing system to record passenger boardings. However, for those who pay daily, it’s challenging to know exactly who gets on board.
To address this, Aurélien generates statistics on the 10 busiest boarding points. Meanwhile, I conduct on-site observations to listen to users and understand what is happening in practice.
Over the past three years, have you observed an increase in passenger boarding rates on the buses?
Over the years, we have observed a steady increase in passenger boarding rates on our buses. In 2019, before the pandemic, we recorded 302,000 boardings, which rose to 342,000 in 2023. Despite the challenges of the post-COVID recovery, including user apprehensions, even in rural areas, we have continued to see growth. This increase is the result of our ongoing efforts with the team and drivers to enhance the network’s operation and boost its usage.
We are very proud to have established, for the first time in Ardèche, an urban network.
We have truly added value to the area by facilitating travel to strategic points and public services. We have received numerous positive feedbacks from both users and neighboring communities.
Our primary goal is to ensure user satisfaction and encourage increased use of public transportation. To this end, we have intensified our efforts to inform travelers, whether about stops, mobile apps like Hubup, or through improvements in signage made a few years ago.
Some communities in Ardèche have reached out to you for feedback on the implementation of the Tout’enbus network. Could you tell us more about this?
We have served as a reference for local authorities and transport operators, including our historical carrier, Autocars Ginhoux, which had no urban network before ours. The service we developed together has become a model for them as well.
Thanks to Aurélien, we have made significant progress in new technologies, which has been a major asset. A better understanding of the network allows for its optimal use. If information is not available, people cannot use the service. By effectively communicating our actions, we facilitate access and use for everyone.
The network’s architecture and new communication methods have truly made a difference. Complaints have dropped by 99%, from about 10 per day to almost none today. In fact, we now receive positive feedback, indicating that our improvements are well-received.
Each year, our reports show a consistent improvement in punctuality. Drivers and users have a better understanding of the network, and tools like Hubup help account for delays.
Overall, we observe a peak in complaints at the start of the school year, but tracking apps reassure parents, who can check in real-time on the Hubup app to see if their children have boarded the bus. This provides an added layer of security for all service users.
Thank you, Johan, for sharing your experiences, and thanks to the Tout’enbus teams for their trust! We wish them a good journey ahead.