The metropolitan majority in Lyon is moving forward with its plan for a new transport police force on the TCL network, eventually comprising 200 armed agents. While delinquency remains a significant concern, particularly on buses, it has notably decreased over the past two decades. This raises critical questions about the relevance of this new brigade and how it will integrate with existing security teams and systems.
A Radical Solution or a Political Ploy?
The decision to establish an inter-municipal transport police, with 120 armed agents by mid-mandate and 200 in the long term, was accelerated following the tragic death of an 82-year-old man from a heart attack after a snatch-and-grab theft at the Sans-Souci metro station on August 10. Initial recruitments are slated for January.
For the new right-wing metropolitan majority led by Véronique Sarselli (Les Républicains), this initiative is a clear political statement, aiming to project an image of tougher security measures compared to the previous ecological majority. While some violent incidents did increase in 2025 on the network, the overall trend of delinquency has been downward for two decades, aided by the 12,500 cameras installed across the network. This raises the question: is a new armed police force truly pertinent, or is it a politically motivated announcement designed to reassure the public without addressing underlying issues?
The Numbers Game: Is Insecurity Truly Rising?
Gilles Gascon (LR), Vice-President of the Métropole for Transport, asserts that the TCL network is “the Wild West.” He cites 2025 security figures: 42 violent thefts against passengers, a 220% increase from 13 the previous year. Assaults on agents also saw a rise, with 268 incidents, 104 of which involved physical harm, marking a 14% increase. Furthermore, disturbances like pickpocketing and squatting surged by 48% by mid-2025, from 971 to 1,437 incidents.
However, a nuanced perspective is crucial. The number of assaults on agents was four times higher 20 years ago, and attacks on passengers have been divided by three. According to the 2025 annual report by the Union of Public and Railway Transport (UTPF), the average aggression rate per million travelers on networks comparable to Lyon’s (over 250,000 journeys per day) is 1.12. For TCL, this rate was 0.29 by mid-2025, up from 0.19 in 2024. While the rate of assaults on agents in Lyon was indeed higher at 0.59 (compared to the national average of 0.25 and Lyon’s 0.43 in 2024), 2025 appears to be an anomalous “bad” year within a broader two-decade trend of declining insecurity.
Integrating a New Force: A Complex Puzzle
The creation of a transport police is not a novel concept for Sytral Mobilités. A 2025 internal review concluded that such a move risked “a loss of commitment from partners, such as the national police and municipal police forces.” This suggests concerns that the state might withdraw its resources, relying instead on the local authority’s efforts. An former Sytral member noted that the BMTC gendarmerie service “works quite well, but from May 2025, there were no more operations because the gendarmerie no longer had the budget to assign reservists to the network.”
Currently, security on the TCL network is managed by several entities:
- SIA (Service d’intervention et d’assistance des TCL): 60 TCL agents providing preventive presence and assistance.
- Private Security Agents: 178 full-time equivalents, with 126 agents deployed daily in 2025.
- SISTC (Service interdépartemental de sécurisation des transports en commun): A police service established in 2005 in Lille, Lyon, and Marseille.
- BMTC (Brigade mobile des transports en commun): Composed of nine gendarmerie military personnel and reservists.
The national police’s SISTC, originally over a hundred strong, saw its numbers drop to 70 last year, while Marseille and Lille maintained 100 and 120 agents respectively, despite having less than half of TCL’s daily passenger volume. This decline in resources is a long-standing issue.
Alain Barberis, regional secretary of the Alliance Police Nationale union, supports the transport police as a “complement,” but stresses that “once again, it is the local authorities that are filling the gaps left by the state.” He highlights a nearly 50% reduction in police service staff over 20 years, despite the expansion of the TCL network.
Challenges and Concerns: A Flawed Implementation?
Riad Marzouki, general secretary of the CGT union at TCL, fears this announcement is merely a “flash in the pan” and questions the feasibility of implementing such a project within four months. He also expresses concern that this new police force will fall under RATP Dev, the delegate for TCL security and operator of heavy modes, while its competitor Keolis manages the buses. This is critical because “80% of agent assaults concern bus drivers.” The CGT worries that security on buses will be less robust than on metros and tramways, despite Gascon’s assurance of “equitable distribution.”
Furthermore, several hurdles remain: obtaining a ministerial decree to arm the agents, extensive training for professional certification, and the establishment of the new structure itself. The CGT also raises questions about the agents’ status (public or private) and the legality of a private company like RATP Dev forming an armed “private militia.”
Free Transport for Police: A Gesture of Trust?
The Métropole also plans to offer free TCL transport to police forces and allow municipal police to operate on buses and metros. While 10 municipalities already have their police intervening on the TCL network (458 interventions in 2025), Gascon aims to strengthen this partnership, enabling the security control center to contact local municipal police for quicker responses.
For national police, 75% of their TCL subscription is already covered by their employer, and 800 free passes are in circulation for “service necessity.” The Métropole’s proposal for total free transport, even off-duty, is seen by Alain Barberis as “a pledge of trust and recognition,” potentially increasing the attractiveness of hard-to-fill positions and encouraging more officers to use public transport.
Conclusion: A Long Road Ahead
Lyon’s new transport police initiative presents a complex interplay of political ambition, genuine security concerns, and significant practical challenges. While the intention to enhance safety is clear, the effectiveness of this new force hinges on careful planning, seamless integration with existing services, and addressing the concerns raised by unions and experts. The long-term success will depend on whether this initiative truly tackles the root causes of insecurity and resource allocation, or if it remains largely a symbolic gesture in the face of deeper systemic issues.
Source: tribunedelyon.fr
