Bus Azur

Bus Azur

Bus Azur at Cannes-la-Bocca in 2006.
Headquarters Cannes
Locale Cannes
Service area  France
Service type Urban bus service
Routes 21 lines
Operator Veolia Transport Cannes
Web site http://www.busazur.com

Bus Azur is a brand of bus services serving the Southern French city of Cannes, France. The operator, Veolia Transport Cannes is responsible for operating the Bus Azur buses for SITP, grouping the communes of Cannes, le Cannet et Mandelieu-la-Napoule.

History

The city of Cannes was, until 1933, served by an urban tramway system, the Tramway de Cannes, as well as an inter-urban tramway, the Tramway de Nice et du Littoral until 1953.

The first bus services within Cannes and between Cannes and le Cannet began in 1936. Cannes bus company operated four lines:

Each of the lines were divided in two fare zones. In 1954, the concession for operation of buses in Cannes was given to Société des Transports Urbains de Cannes by the Syndicat Intercommunal des Transports Publics for twenty years. Several lines were created during the 1960s, linking Cannes to la Californie, Cannes and le Cannet via République and Cannes to l'Aubarède. Lines were divided into four fare zones. In 1968, severe strikes forced the company to reduce its staff presence on buses to one.

The STUC's concession was extended by ten years in 1974 thanks to a grant to the STIP. The company adopted a new ticketing system, using magnetic strip cards. Lines were grouped into two global fare zones in replacement of the four per line. Service was increased with the purchase of more rolling stock. Within two years, stock and staff numbers doubled.

In 1978, the STUC purchased a diesel multiple unit X 94630 for use on the Cannes-Ranguin railway line. Service was eleven minutes in length and bus ticketing used.

The concession was once more extended, for five years, in 1984, with further bus purchases and the repainting of the X 94630 into the line's colours. rail services ended in 1995 due to loss of revenue. On 5 November 1996, CGFTE Cannes signed a contract delegating services. In 2004, Bus Azur introduced double-decker buses on its line 8 quai Laubeuf-La Croisette-Palm Beach.

Destinations

Route Operator
1 Place Leclerc - Ranguin VTU Cannes
1A Place Leclerc - Hôtel de Ville VTU Cannes
2 Blanchisserie - Les Bastides VTU Cannes
4 Hôtel de Ville - Place Leclerc VTU Cannes
6A Hôtel de Ville - Le Colombier VTU Cannes
6B Hôtel de ville - Saint-Michel Collines - Parc Saint-Paul VTU Cannes
7 Mare Monte - Polyclinique VTU Cannes
7A Hôtel de Ville - Villa Font de Veyre VTU Cannes
8 Quai Laubeuf - Palm Beach VTU Cannes
10 Hôtel de Ville - Les Pins Parasols VTU Cannes
11 Place du Marché - Penh Chaï VTU Cannes
11A Mairie du Cannet - Les Pins Parasols VTU Cannes
12 Hôtel de Ville - Les Mirandoles II VTU Cannes
13 Place Leclerc - Les Collines - Centre Hélio Marin VTU Cannes
14 Gare SNCF Le Bosquet - Cormorans VTU Cannes
15 L'Islette du Riou - C.E.S. Les Mimosas VTU Cannes
16 Cimetière de Capitou - Maréchal Juin VTU Cannes
17 Hôpital de Cannes - Gare Routière VTU Cannes
18 Gare SNCF - Vallauris Envibus
20 Gare SNCF - Avenue Morgon / Lycée Carnot / Gare SNCF - Balcon d'Azur VTU Cannes
21 Hôtel de Ville (Boucle via Notre-Dame les Pins) VTU Cannes
35 Hôtel de Ville - Ranguin VTU Cannes
610 Gare SNCF - Grasse CTM