The President of the Federation of Monegasque Businesses (FEDEM) says that it’s time for a metro system in Monaco. Philippe Ortelli, FEDEM President since 2008, voiced his opinion in a recent editorial piece, published in Monaco Business News.
Electric metro between Nice and Ventimiglia
Every day, 50,000 people enter and leave Monaco. And this number is expected to increase in the near future. Which is why the FEDEM proposes launching a major cross-border study on the feasibility of a modern and reliable electric metro between Nice Airport and Ventimiglia.
Canceled trains and traffic jams…
Traffic within the 2 km² territory of Monaco has been an issue for many years. And Philippe Ortelli has called for better travel conditions for employees who work in Monaco.
“We call for greater listening and respect for those who sometimes spend more than two hours each day on their journeys, to come and create value and VAT – which contributes significantly to the financing of public services, their salaries and their future pensions…Our employees are not at the mercy of coercion. They deserve better travel conditions,” says Ortelli.
According to the piece, experiencing a train journey between Monaco and Nice at 5:30 p.m., or driving in Monaco between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., is enough to understand what many employees endure on a daily basis: crowded or canceled trains and traffic jams.
“It is not with the 1,000 spaces in the Salines parking lot or the possible 3,500 spaces at Brasca that we will resolve the situation in the long term,” says Ortelli.
Nice-Est would be accessible in 11 minutes…
The project, estimated at €4 billion, would eventually pay for itself. Ticket prices would cost less than the fuel, tolls, and parking. Nice-Est would be accessible in 11 minutes, the airport in 23 minutes. “That would change everything!” says Ortelli.
The FEDEM’s proposal is a metro with key stops at Allianz Riviera, Nice Nord, Pasteur, Monaco (Fontvieille, Sainte-Dévote, Monte-Carlo, Saint-Roman), Carnolès, and Vintimille.
Ortelli calls on public and private stakeholders to build the project, and the future of transportation in Monaco, together.
About the FEDEM
Created in 1945, FEDEM is a non-profit organization that studies economic, industrial, commercial and social issues affecting Monaco. With its 31 affiliated unions, FEDEM has supported the development of Monegasque businesses and the country’s economic development for 80 years.
