Nice: As he cuts public spending, Éric Ciotti offers free public transport to people over 65
The Nice metropolitan council has approved free public transport on the Lignes d’Azur network starting September 1, 2026, expanding a policy pushed by Mayor and Metropolitan President Éric Ciotti. The measure will cover residents aged 65 and older, as well as employees of the prison administration and the Nice University Hospital (CHU), according to local reporting cited in French media.
Previously, free travel in Nice was limited to low-income seniors who did not pay income tax. Under the new rules, the eligible group will broaden significantly, increasing the number of beneficiaries from about 31,000 to roughly 100,000 users, the city says. To access the benefit, eligible people will need to pay a one-time administrative fee of 15 euros to obtain a free-travel card.
The financial cost of the policy will be substantial for the local authority. The annual expense is estimated at 5.7 million euros excluding tax for seniors alone, with an additional 100,000 euros per year for hospital staff and 50,000 euros for prison officers. The extension to these public-sector workers was presented as a response to demands from the opposition and as a way to support professions under pressure. The opposition reportedly voted unanimously in favor of the proposal.
Ciotti’s administration presents the measure as both social and practical, arguing that it will help protect purchasing power, strengthen solidarity, and reduce isolation among older residents. Supporters within the opposition also welcomed the policy as a social and ecological step, while some called for moving toward free public transport for all users in the future.
However, Ciotti ruled out a broader universal free-transport system for now, citing the city’s budget constraints. In April, the municipality announced a 60 million euro savings plan, underscoring the financial limits facing the local government. The new measure therefore reflects a targeted expansion rather than a full-scale overhaul of public transport pricing.
The decision fulfills an electoral promise made by Ciotti and marks one of the most visible social policy changes since he took office in Nice. It also continues a gradual shift in the city’s transport policy, which had already included measures for the most modest households. With the latest vote, Nice is set to become one of the French cities where the broadest group of older residents can travel without paying fares, alongside certain essential public workers.
