RATP, through a subsidiary, won the tenders to open all Paris intramural bus lines to competition and will remain the sole Parisian bus operator, according to results published on Friday, October 17. Throughout the Ile-de-France, the RATP has had to accept the arrival of new competitors, but retains 70% of its lines (226 lines, that is, 3,543 buses in total) and 75% of its agents at the end of the process that buried its monopoly.
Thus, the Italian group ATM SPA, a newcomer, obtained the operation of 18 bus lines in Ile-de-France. Keolis, already present in the periphery, obtained 65 lines in the inner periphery, 2 fast coach lines, 3 on-demand transport lines and the management of the T9 tram. The Franco-German group Transdev will operate 19 lines.
The two lots awarded on Friday are the last in the process of opening buses to competition in Paris and the outskirts, which began in 2024. The Ile-de-France-Mobilités transport authority (IDFM) has appointed RATP Cap Ile-de-France, a subsidiary of RATP, as operator of these two lots that bring together the 66 Parisian bus lines, seven operational centres, 1,149 vehicles and 5,000 agents. that serve more than 7 million inhabitants.
“Last success” by Jean Castex
RATP Cap Ile de France will exploit them starting November 1, 2026 for a period of seven years, with the possibility of extension for two more years, the IDFM stated. Valérie Pécresse, president of the Ile-de-France region and the IDFM, welcomed in advance on Thursday the “latest success” of Jean Castex, director general of the RATP, who is leaving to take over the management of the SNCF.
This success “concludes a demanding awards cycle and confirms the strength of our offerings and the recognition of our unique experience in operating dense urban networks,” said Jean Castex. On Thursday he recalled the importance of the “bus plan 2025”, which consists of changing most of the RATP group’s bus fleet “either to electric or CNG, that is, making them more ecological.” “We are 75% of this program, it is a colossal project,” he stated.
Source: BFM TV
