A 24-hour strike by drivers at STAO—the subcontractor that operates Setram’s school-bus services around Le Mans—forced the cancellation of several afternoon departures on Friday, 6 February. The industrial action affected lines 102, 113 and 114, leaving some 450 pupils at three secondary schools scrambling for alternative transport. Municipal authorities in La Milesse issued an urgent bulletin advising parents to collect children by private car or organise carpools.
Setram stressed that its tram network and regular urban routes were running normally, as were on-demand Resa+ services for passengers with reduced mobility. The dispute centres on weekend overtime pay and the introduction of biometric clock-in kiosks, which unions say were imposed without consultation. Talks are scheduled at the prefecture on Monday; failure to reach a deal could trigger rolling stoppages across the wider Le Mans Métropole network.
![Local Bus Strike in Sarthe Region Disrupts School Runs but Spares Main Tram and City Lines]()
For organisations that frequently relocate staff across borders or need rapid visa assistance when transport disruptions force last-minute rerouting, a dedicated service such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The platform streamlines French visa applications and offers real-time status updates—see https://www.visahq.com/france/—helping mobility managers keep personnel compliant and on the move even when local transit systems are in flux.
While the strike is local, mobility managers with staff in the automotive and aerospace clusters around Le Mans have flagged potential knock-on effects if unrest spreads to commuter lines feeding industrial zones. Employers are advising flex-hours or remote work for Monday in case negotiations collapse.
The episode is a reminder that even small-scale labour disputes can upend carefully planned employee-mobility programmes. Companies with decentralised French sites are encouraged to map alternative transport modes and maintain real-time communication channels with assignees and travellers.
Setram stressed that its tram network and regular urban routes were running normally, as were on-demand Resa+ services for passengers with reduced mobility. The dispute centres on weekend overtime pay and the introduction of biometric clock-in kiosks, which unions say were imposed without consultation. Talks are scheduled at the prefecture on Monday; failure to reach a deal could trigger rolling stoppages across the wider Le Mans Métropole network.
For organisations that frequently relocate staff across borders or need rapid visa assistance when transport disruptions force last-minute rerouting, a dedicated service such as VisaHQ can be invaluable. The platform streamlines French visa applications and offers real-time status updates—see https://www.visahq.com/france/—helping mobility managers keep personnel compliant and on the move even when local transit systems are in flux.
While the strike is local, mobility managers with staff in the automotive and aerospace clusters around Le Mans have flagged potential knock-on effects if unrest spreads to commuter lines feeding industrial zones. Employers are advising flex-hours or remote work for Monday in case negotiations collapse.
The episode is a reminder that even small-scale labour disputes can upend carefully planned employee-mobility programmes. Companies with decentralised French sites are encouraged to map alternative transport modes and maintain real-time communication channels with assignees and travellers.
