The buses and trams in the Pays d'Aubagne will remain free for the immediate future, pending the implementation of a return to paid service. The mayor, Jean-Pierre Squillari, claims this as a first victory in his efforts to resist the change. The decision to reintroduce paid transportation in the region was announced on September 24 by Nicolas Isnard, president of the Aix-Marseille-Provence Metropolis, but it will not take effect for several months. This delay is being seen as a reprieve by the local government in Aubagne, which attributes it to the public's opposition and mobilization efforts. Following discussions with the metropolitan executive on October 5, Squillari announced the next day that he had secured a "moratorium," meaning a temporary suspension of the measure without a set deadline. According to the city hall, this temporary continuation of free service is considered a "first step victory." The local government points to nearly 15,000 signatures collected on an online petition within a few days, as well as the involvement of local officials across different political lines, as evidence of public support. Squillari emphasized that this moratorium is a significant achievement but warned that the local government will not accept any misleading delays. He stated that the city will not accept the introduction of paid transportation in 2026, 2027, or with the launch of Val’Tram, a new tram system planned for the region. From the perspective of the metropolitan institution, however, the delay is described as a "technical delay" related to the transition to a paid network. The temporary maintenance of free service is explained as the time needed to implement the measure, without challenging its underlying principle. Nicolas Isnard aims to replace the current free service with a social pricing model, where travelers pay according to their financial means rather than relying solely on taxpayer funding. He argued that free service does not truly exist and that users should contribute to the cost of the service. This reform is part of a broader cost-cutting plan aimed at raising the remaining 53 million euros needed to balance the 2026 metropolitan budget.