Evian les bains

France

Urban Ferry Service
An ecological transportation mode for Evian

Challenge

The Solar electric Catamaran "Soleil du Léman" was created in 2003 by the Swiss based company MW Line. At the time it was the first passenger ferry powered by solar energy only. In 2003, the transportation company of the metropolitan area of Thonon, a subsidiary of Veolia Transport, was chosen by the city of evian to operate the new passenger ferry service. The main contract was for the transportation to and from the botanical garden of "Pré-Curieux" which can only be accessed by boat. This unique line operates 153 days per year from morning to evening. Fringe services included tourist pleasure cruises of 30 and 40 minutes in the bay of evian.

Objectives

  • Manage daily operations.
  • Develop communication around the ferry service.
  • Provide a high quality service with a quality driven approach in coordination with the Transit Authority, which evaluates no less than 200 criteria organized around 4 main themes:
    > state of infrastructure,
    > cleanliness of infrastructure,
    > crew behavior,
    > and quality of the ferry service (including customer satisfaction).

94% client satisfaction (survey conducted by PTA)

Veolia Transport's solution

  • Provide the city of evian with the group's expertise in daily operations.
  • Manage seasonal staff recruited for the period stretching from May to September.
  • Ensure regular preventive and daily maintenance of the catamaran so as to offer clients a perfect vessel.
  • Stay in close contact with the local authorities and the tourism industry to coordinate communication and marketing.
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