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Day: 28 March 2022

Prince takes the wheel in unveiling of new green bus fleet

by: Luke Entwistle
28/03/2022

The Compagnie des Autobus de Monaco (CAM) lined up their new 100% electric buses in front of Prince Albert and the Palace on Monday as they prepare to take the fleet to the streets of the Principality.

Monaco Life, like Prince Albert II, had the opportunity to take a ride on the new bus, as invited members of the press were whisked around Monaco Ville before returning to the Palace. What is immediately noticeable is the noise, or lack thereof. The bus is completely silent, whilst the comfort and larger interior will provide passengers a much more comfortable travelling experience.

Roland de Rechniewski, Director of CAM, told reporters, “We are offering a better service to those that are going to work and we are increasing the internal capacity, as the new buses will have 60 seats rather than the 50 on the old buses.”

Celine Caron-Dagioni, Minister of Public Works, the Environment and Urban Development, revealed the routes that will benefit from this new, eco-friendly bus. “For now, the buses will serve route three (Fontvielle – Hector Otto), whilst the buses will also run on route five (Hospital – Larvotto) from the Autumn.” Caron-Dagioni added that the buses will begin their service on route three from the beginning of April.

The new bus fleet are 100% electric, photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life

In order to reach this point, an arduous process has had to be overcome. Due to the topography of Monaco, and the limited charging hours, it was difficult to find a model of bus that could fulfil the requirements.

“In terms of battery capacity, it is three times the size of the biggest Tesla battery. It is very important in terms of the quantity of energy to charge. It has to be done in a relatively short amount of time, because the bus finishes the service the night before and has to be ready for the next day,” said de Rechniewski.

This model of bus, having passed the requisite tests, will now roam the streets of the Principality for the next 15 years. In that time, a great deal of change will occur in Monaco’s public transport system.

“We target having the entirety of the fleet electric by 2025 for all buses currently circulating, and then we have about 20 buses in reserve, which will have hybrid technology, that will be in transition until 2030, at the maximum. So, it is really two phases, 2025 and 2030,” revealed Caron-Dagioni.

Although the speed of technological advancement is unrelenting, de Rechniewski believes that some things should remain the same. Notably, he is a staunch believer that the role of the driver should remain un-automated. “We have to consider that part of the magic of Monaco is the welcome. For me, the bus driver is, above all, an ambassador and I think we can’t deprive ourselves of this contact.”

He continued, “It’s our image, and I confess that I demand keeping our drivers, because the people that come here need to be accompanied, to be guided.”

It is therefore a tale of continuity and change on the streets of Monaco, as the ecological revolution happening within the Principality’s borders gives rise to a new fleet of green vehicles.

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Photo of Prince Albert with National Council President Stéphane Valéri and other members of government

 

 

 

 

 

France to suspend short-haul flights from April

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2022

France will be the first European Union nation to stop air travel to destinations that can be reached by a 2.4-hour train journey in an effort to lessen the country’s carbon footprint and encourage citizens to travel by train.

Before the days of mass air travel, people in Europe took trains to visit destinations near and far. This romantic way of travel fell out of fashion with the advent of cheap airfares, and as train travel fell, carbon emissions from airplanes went up.

To try and reverse that trend, the French are becoming the first country in the European Union (EU) to stop short haul flights less than 2.4 hours long, replacing them with high-speed TGV train options. This goes into effect in April.

In April 2021, the French parliament voted to suspend short domestic flights, arguing that the French high-speed train system is well-suited for travellers for shorter distances and is less impactful on the environment.

Air France has also raised the gauntlet, becoming the first airline to introduce additional biofuel tariffs in January 2022. Other carriers are aiming to follow suit.

Flights from Paris to Nice, which take roughly six hours by train, will continue to operate, as will those from Paris to Toulouse, which takes four hours by train.

“It’s possible that we have the discussion [at an EU level], but so far, we have a national approach, given the national railway network,” French Minister of Transport Jean-Baptiste Djebbari noted last November.

France has 2,800 kilometres of railways connecting international destinations such as London, Amsterdam and Frankfurt, though flights to these places are still an option.

Other countries are making strides toward more eco-friendly practices. Sweden is launching a “take-off fee” for older aircraft and Germany has doubled the tax on short-haul flights. Additionally, the EU has announced plans to double its high-speed rail line by 2030.

 

 

 

Photo by Cassandra Tanti, Monaco Life

 

 

 

Monaco’s contribution to the marine biodiversity treaty

by: Cassandra Tanti
28/03/2022

Monaco has played a significant role in the creation of a new global treaty aimed at protecting marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction, passing on its knowledge of how to establish marine protected areas (MPAs) in the fourth and final meeting.

The 4th session of the Intergovernmental Conference responsible for drawing up a new International Convention on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in the High Seas was held in New York.

The Permanent Mission of the Principality of Monaco to the UN took part, presenting “concrete proposals in the various debates, particularly around the process of creating protected marine areas on the high seas,” said the government in a statement on Monday. “These proposals were largely taken into account during the exchanges aimed at achieving common positions between small island states of the Pacific, groups of African states, from Latin America, the Caribbean Community, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.”

In 2017, the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene an Intergovernmental Conference to consider the recommendations of the Preparatory Committee established by a 2015 resolution on the elements and to elaborate the text of an international legally binding instrument under the United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea, detailing the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction, with a view to developing the instrument as soon as possible.

The first session was convened from 4th to 17th September 2018, the second session from 25th March to 5th April 2019, and the third session from 19th to 30th August 2019. The fourth session, which was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic, was convened from 7th to 18th March 2022.

Monaco said it is committed to continuing the process until “the conclusion of the negotiations”.

 

 

Photo by Anastasia Taioglou on Unsplash

 

 

 

 

Monaco welcomes the Munegu Repair Café

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2022

Pull out all those broken, transportable items lying around the house and take them to the Munegu Repair Café at the Condamine Market this weekend.

Ripped clothes, chipped crockery, broken toys… everyone has a certain number of items hanging around that never get repaired, but also don’t get thrown out.

Now those items have a chance for a new lease on life at the upcoming Munegu Repair Café (Monaco Repair Café).

Affiliated with the Nice Repair Café, it’s to be a free event at the Condamine Market on Saturday 2nd April from 3:30pm to 6pm for people to bring transportable pieces to this central location to help make the repairs needed to make them almost like new again.

Tools and materials are on hand, as well as expert volunteers with skills in a variety of fields. Together, the specialists and the customer work together to mend broken items whilst at the same time learning the skills to make future repairs at home.

There are over 2,200 Repair Cafés worldwide. Advocates say they are a fun way to do good for the environment as well as being a confidence booster for people who may not have believed they had the necessary skill to make minor repairs on their own.

The pieces salvaged by Repair Cafes mean less waste goes into dumps, raw material usage is reduced, and CO2 emissions are cut because recycling uses less energy than manufacturing things new.

The idea for this ingenious scheme is Martine Postma who launched the first Repair Café in 2009 in her effort to promote sustainability in her neighbourhood in Amsterdam. Since then, it has spread to dozens of other countries around the globe such as the UK, Germany, France, Japan and India.

Access to the Munegu Repair Café is free. For more info, contact jbonnin@mairie.mc

 

 

 

Leclerc pipped at the last in eventful weekend in Saudi

by: Luke Entwistle
28/03/2022

A late overtake from Max Verstappen snatched victory from Charles Leclerc at the Saudi Arabian GP on Sunday, the seeds of another thrilling two-horse race for the title are already being sown.

It was the reigning World Champion Verstappen who had the final word on a weekend that was punctuated by big moments on and off the track. A missile attack near the circuit on Friday threw the entire race weekend into doubt, before Mick Schumacher’s heavy crash in Saturday’s qualifying led to a lengthy red flag and the safety of the circuit being called into question.

Amidst the chaos, it was the cool-headed Sergio Perez who snatched his first ever pole position on his 215th attempt with what he described as “the best lap of my life”. But having controlled his opening stint, a cruel turn of fate would deprive him of a chance of race victory.

Between the barriers of a tight street circuit in Jeddah, drivers kept it tidy at lights-out. There was little change towards the front of the field, although a lowly Lewis Hamilton set about his task of getting into the points from his 15th place starting position. The difficulty with which he set about that task was telling, his Mercedes simply doesn’t have pace in abundance this year. The Briton would go on to take just a point, whereas his new team-mate George Russel fared much better, securing fifth position.

Up top, things were largely static in the opening stages of this race, much of the action took place in the mid-field. The pick of the battles was between Alpine team-mates Fernando Alonso and Sebastien Ocon. The pair dovetailed each other before team orders put a premature end to what was an interesting, entertaining battle.

Everything changed during the first set of pit-stops. Ferrari tricked Perez into pitting early, and the very next lap, before Leclerc had taken a fresh set of tyres, Nicolas Latifi hit the barriers, bringing out the safety car.

Sunday’s Saudi Arabia Grand Prix, photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

Effectively earning a free-stop, Leclerc was primed to profit and took the lead of the race. Verstappen and Leclerc’s Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz also leapfrogged the helpless Mexican, who had seen his steady race thrown into turmoil as he dropped out of the running for the race victory.

Leclerc kept a steady gap to Verstappen until the final few laps, but after a virtual safety car period, the Dutchman closed in. Leclerc was up for the battle, however, and after Verstappen had overtaken, he used DRS on the following straight to take back the lead. A similar move a lap later saw Verstappen lock-up and flat-spot his tyres, as the chance looked to have passed.

He remained undeterred. The decisive move came just four laps from the end. Veratappen, having learned from his previous mistakes, tactically allowed Leclerc to stay ahead, thus receiving DRS on the start/finish straight. Leclerc was helpless to defend and lost the lead, when only a few laps earlier he had looked destined for consecutive wins for the first time in his career. Sainz capped off the podium and secured his second place in the drivers standings, the Spaniard sits 12 points behind leader Leclerc.

Post-race, Leclerc took a holistic view on his race, saying. “Although I’m disappointed to lose the victory so late in the race, it feels good to be fighting for wins again”. The Monegasque driver continued, “I hope it stays this close for the coming races. It’s exciting to watch and to drive like this.”

Should both cars continue to develop at similar rates, the cat-and-mouse battle that we saw on-track in Jeddah will likely be mirrored in the title battle itself, the next chapter of which will be written in two weeks’ time in Australia.

 

SEE ALSO: 

Saudi GP to go ahead despite missile attack, Leclerc starts in 2nd

 

 

 

Photo source: Scuderia Ferrari Press Office

 

 

 

Supporting Ukrainians through culture

by: Stephanie Horsman
28/03/2022

Several Monaco artists and cultural players are donating proceeds from upcoming events to the Monaco Red Cross to support Ukrainians in their time of need.

Monaco’s cultural and artistic institutions are banding together to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people, donating all event proceeds to the Monaco Red Cross to distribute where they are most needed.

The Monte-Carlo Opera’s premiere of Wozzeck on 25th March was the first participatory event.

Upcoming events include a Radio France Philharmonic Orchestra Concert being held on 31st March during the Monte-Carlo Spring Arts Festival at the big Top in Fontvieille, followed by a play by Edouard Baer entitled ‘The Lucubrations of a Man Suddenly Struck by Grace’ on 7th April at the Princess Grace Theatre.

Then the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic will be performing a concert by Maria João Pires on 8th April at the Auditorium Rainier III, which will be conducted by Kazuki Yamada.

On 28th April, the Ballets de Monte-Carlo will dedicate the premiere of Oeil pour Oeil at the Grimaldi Forum to the cause, as will the ‘My Land Circus and Dance Show’ on 10th June at the Grimaldi Forum.

Additionally, the Rencontres Philosophiques de Monaco (Monaco Philosophical Meetings) is putting together an evening of solidarity with Ukraine and supporting researchers and students who are victims of the war on 28th March at the Maison de l’Ocean in Paris.

Finally, the New National Museum of Monaco plans, within the framework of the actions initiated by the International Council of Museums (ICOM) and the Blue Shield, to participate in the sending of equipment to help protect the collections on site.

For information or tickets to any of these events, visit the individual websites.

 

 

Photo of the Prince Grace Theatre, by Monaco Life