The SMTDR
The public body that runs the ferry crossings of the Rhône delta.
The Syndicat Mixte des Traversées du Delta du Rhône (SMTDR) is a local public body. The Bouches-du-Rhône Department has delegated to it the organisation and management of the Rhône delta crossings at two points: Barcarin and Sauvage.
The ferries were first run by the State, then by the Bouches-du-Rhône Department. The SMTDR was created in 1999 by the Department, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Region (which left in 2021) and the town of Arles, to improve the service.
It is governed by a board of elected representatives of its member authorities, chaired by its President, currently Mandy Graillon, departmental councillor. Its management is based in Arles.
The double-ended ferries are designed specifically for this service and crewed by trained staff. The SMTDR is certified under the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code).
A little history
Salin-de-Giraud was linked to Arles only by road and by the departmental railway: the Rhône blocked all access to the east of the Bouches-du-Rhône. The crossing service dates back to 1827, with a large boat of 10 by 3 metres.
On 8 October 1933, the first Barcarin ferry, a chain ferry about fifteen metres long, was inaugurated at Salin-de-Giraud, along with the ochre house where the ferrymen lived, which still stands.
Retreating German troops sank Barcarin 1 in 1944, and the service only resumed in 1956. With Barcarin 2, then Barcarin 3 in 1967, a modern design was chosen: double-ended, self-propelled and highly manoeuvrable thanks to a Voith propeller at each end. Barcarin 4 arrived in 1987 and Barcarin 5 in 2010; both run the crossings today.
At Sauvage, the first ferry concession dates from 1826, with a large boat or raft. Just after the First World War, a hand-operated cable ferry was installed. The current ferry, Sauvage 3, entered service in 1972.
