Pont-à-Mousson: Free river shuttles and water buses will be available this Saturday for a summer of testing.

The pontoons installed on the Moselle River will finally find their purpose. Since their installation in 2022, only a few boats had come to moor for a few moments, but there was no sign of the promised river shuttle. Last year, the municipality blamed the partners while waiting for approvals.

But starting this Saturday, river shuttles will be back. "This is an experimental service that will run every Saturday, from July ¹ to September 30, 2025," explains Noël Guérard, vice-president of transport for the Bassin de Pont-à-Mousson community of communes. "The service is free, meaning it's free for all passengers."

A boat will connect three stops. On the left bank, the stop will be located at the bottom of Place Saint-Antoine. On the right bank, passengers will be able to board or disembark at the community pool or the marina. "The service will be provided from 8 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. by a volunteer driver. He will provide his boat." The CCBPAM will cover the insurance and fuel costs, which represents an estimated budget of around €7,000.

The river shuttle will therefore be tested for a year. "We remind everyone that the biggest challenge is crossing the Moselle, especially on Saturday mornings. The idea is to say that we're trying to ease congestion by river." However, the announcement doesn't seem to convince anyone of its effectiveness.

"It's a gimmick," says Johan Ohling. "In terms of mobility efficiency, it's almost zero. If the shuttle had a tourist purpose, with stops along the Moselle, I could have heard it. For mobility, park-and-ride facilities with electric shuttles would have been more efficient and had a better carbon-free approach."

The second issue raised concerns the implementation of the river shuttles themselves. "If the goal is an experiment to open up areas, it's going to cost more," emphasizes Matthieu Jacquot. "We need to agree on the objective. Because currently, the schedules are a bit skewed. The 11:30 a.m. finish doesn't allow for a real experiment. We'll also need to look at the issue of volunteering. If the service is in place, paying someone will also cost more."

These are existing issues, but they have been mitigated. "We're in a one-year test phase. Indeed, when we see the Saturday morning market and the crowds it attracts, it can help us. The proposal is far from perfect, but it has the merit of existing," says Bernard Bertelle. An analysis shared by Henry Lemoine : "It's an experiment. We'll probably have to review the schedules based on the initial feedback and adjust them. Regarding the boat's fuel, it might be a good idea to think about something greener."

Pending possible adjustments, the river shuttle will sail on the Moselle this Saturday. Visitors will decide for themselves.