On a cold February morning, the familiar hum of tram wheels and the rhythm of bus engines did not fill the streets of Le Mans. Instead, quiet stretched along the lanes and rails that usually carry thousands of commuters each day. What would normally be a bustling rhythm of movement became an unusual stillness, as if the city itself had taken a collective breath and paused. For the first time in its history, the Setram transport network — buses and trams alike — was completely stopped, its usual cadence replaced by an uncommon silence.
The heart of this stillness was not a mechanical failure or a weather-born surprise, but a conscious choice by the workers themselves. On Monday, February 2, employees of the Société d’économie mixte des transports de l’agglomération mancelle (Setram), supported by unions FO and Unsa, called a strike that brought the entire urban transport service to a standstill. It was a visible expression of concern and solidarity, a collective pause in protest against violence witnessed in the workplace.
The spark for this movement was a violent aggression against two controllers in mid-January — an incident that has resonated deeply with drivers, inspectors, and staff across the network. In the face of what they described as an erosion of safety, Setram personnel chose to stop all scheduled services. Tramways that usually thread through the city’s neighborhoods and buses that weave between suburbs remained silent, their fleets resting in depots instead of carrying passengers.
For many residents, the impact was immediate. Commuters accustomed to boarding a tram or bus found themselves on foot, on bicycles, or sharing rides with neighbors. The absence of these services created knot-like traffic on roads and a shift in the rhythm of daily journeys. Some walkers and cyclists told local outlets how the halt transformed familiar commutes into unexpected reflections on routine and reliance.
Gathered in front of the préfecture de la Sarthe, around 200 Setram employees voiced their shared concern that day, urging for stronger protections and a safer environment in which to serve the public. Their presence, banners in hand, spoke of a workforce not just protesting schedules or pay, but standing up for dignity and security amid a rising tide of incivility against transit personnel.
As the sun traced its arc across the winter sky, the halt remained in place — an unprecedented moment where the hum of public transport gave way to the softer, human sounds of conversation, debate, and solidarity. In that quiet, commuters and workers alike were invited — perhaps unexpectedly — to reconsider the ties that bind a city together: routes, rails, and ultimately, respect for those who keep them running.
By late afternoon, local leaders and union representatives were preparing to engage in talks, seeking ways to address safety concerns and restore the familiar cadence of Le Mans’s streets. Amid the pause, there lay a shared hope that understanding and change might follow the day’s stillness.
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Sources: Le Mans.maville.com Ouest-France via Angers Info