On December 27, the City Government of Rome signed a new contract for the concession of the city’s peripheral public transport service, for a total duration of eight years.
In 2024, the incorporation of 148 electric buses and 72 hybrids is expected.
However, the document states that by the year 2028, all units of this system will be electric.
It is worth noting that the service is divided into two lots, the eastern part, and the western part of the city, which will be carried out by two different operators.
The companies that won the tender to take control of the service are Autoservizi Troiani (for Lot 1 East) and Bus International Service and Autoservizi Tuscia (to manage Lot 2 West).
The body responsible for making the decision was the Department of Sustainable Mobility and Transport of Roma Capitale.
“The contract also establishes a support and transition period between the old and the new service operator of approximately 300 days,” comments Eugenio Patanè, Deputy Mayor of the Department.
However, Patanè explains that the intention is to significantly reduce this period to allow the new operators to enter fully into the management of the service soon.
“We entrust the management to the new winners of the tender for a sufficient period to ensure industrial certainty,” indicates the Deputy.
There have been some difficulties with the company responsible so far.
“It’s been five years of extension to the old operator in which there were no investments in vehicles or personnel, which often contributed to the observed deficiencies,” says Patanè.
Regarding the route, the vehicles will be available to the citizens of Rome living in the Grande Raccordo Anulare (GRA) area, the toll-free ring road that surrounds the city, and in the neighborhoods located on the outside of this route.
The system will be divided into 100 bus lines that will be served by a total of 514 vehicles.
This means that approximately 28% of Rome’s local public transport will be allocated through a public tender.
On the other hand, all the staff of the old consortium will be relocated according to the principle established in the social clause, thus avoiding any unemployment problems.
More about the tender-winning companies
Autoservizi Troiani
The company, of Roman origin, was founded in 1965 and has been in operation since then.
Currently, the firm operates 101 regular buses within the city.
Additionally, it has 70 vehicles available for rental purposes and 66 dedicated to school transportation.
According to their official website, the Autoservizi Troiani employs 360 workers.
Autoservizi Tuscia
This company, with offices in Rome and Viterbo, was founded in the year 2010. It is the youngest of the three that won the tender.
The firm primarily operates in the bus and chauffeur-driven vehicle rental sector, in addition to providing local public transportation services.
It also offers international trips for tourism, school-related activities, or corporate purposes.
Bus International Service
Bus International Service, based in the Italian capital, manages a network of urban and school public transportation services in various municipalities around Rome.
Additionally, it also operates the interregional line Civitavecchia – Viterbo – Siena, connecting Lazio to Tuscany through daily connections.
It is a family-owned company that has passed through four generations.
Other advances in the Roman public transportation
During the year 2023, Rome has announced some advancements to improve its public transportation system.
For instance, it acquired 121 trams that can carry up to 215 passengers, for an amount exceeding 457 million euros.
This addition of vehicles was made through the company ATAC, a public transportation company owned by the city.
This transaction will allow the city to renew its fleet, which consists of 200 tram units, some of which date back to the 1940s.
On January 1st, Patanè announced that the new vehicles will be in operation in 2025.
The new vehicles will be electric, and the charging system will operate through pantographs.
Additionally, halfway through the year, ATAC also launched a tender for the purchase of up to 411 electric buses.
As part of the plan for the complete electrification of public transportation, one of the goals is to add 10,000 electric buses to the system by the year 2030.
To achieve the government’s goal, approximately 1,000 electric vehicles should be added on average each year.
Read more: The Italian bus market grew by +72% in 2023, with 1/4 of the market being electric
