TA/ TSO Focus

Profile of a transport authority/ service operator, covering its history, current status, and future plans

• Lagos Bus Service Limited: Transporting 10 million passengers in 10 months of operations

  January 1, 2021
  Lagos Bus Services Limited (LBSL) was incorporated in 2016 as a part of the city government’s Bus Reform Initiative.

• BEST Undertaking: Plans to expand fleet to combat COVID-19 pandemic

  December 1, 2020
  The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Undertaking, the bus operator in Mumbai, is witnessing a sharp decline in ridership, which has further translated into mounting deficits.

• SMRT Corporation: Plans to focus on growth opportunities, enhance productivity, and minimize disruption in FY2021

  November 1, 2020
  For Singapore’s SMRT Corporation Limited, 2019 was an important year because SMRT Trains achieved 1 million mean kilometres between failure (MKBF) for all train lines, making it one of the best-performing operators in the world.

• DART: Optimistic outlook despite the impact of COVID-19

  October 1, 2020
  Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is a sub-regional transportation authority responsible for providing public transport services and complementary services in 13 cities in Texas.

• EFE, Chile: Plans to invest USD3 billion by 2027; issues bonds to generate funds

  September 1, 2020
  Empresa de los Ferrocarriles del Estado (EFE)/ the State Railways Company is an autonomous entity, fully owned by the Government of Chile.

• BVG, Berlin: Investing in network expansion and decarbonization

  August 1, 2020
  Berliner Verkehrsbetriebe (BVG) is the public transport company in Berlin. It operates and manages the transport services of the U-Bahn, the underground railway, tram, bus, and ferry network.

• Sound Transit, Seattle: Decline in ridership and financial losses due to COVID-19 pandemic

  July 1, 2020
  The city of Seattle in Washington state was adversely hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. Mobility levels in Seattle fell by 76 per cent.

• Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF) Group: French state to assume debt, Group plans to invest EUR11 billion in 2020

  June 1, 2020
  The SNCF Group had a good 2019 in terms of very robust business growth over the first 11 months of the year and a good performance on rail fundamentals: safety, on-time arrivals, and passenger information.

• FirstGroup: Dealing with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

  May 1, 2020
  FirstGroup plc is a publicly owned transport operator that provides bus and rail services in the UK, the US, and Canada.

• Rough Patch: COVID-19 to impact farebox revenue of transit agencies in the US

  April 1, 2020
  The novel coronavirus continues to adversely affect the operations, profitability, and financial health of transport operators across the globe.

• Alsa, Morocco: Adapting to the local market

  March 1, 2020
  Spain-based Alsa operates long-distance, regional, and urban bus services across Spain, Morocco, and Switzerland.

• Translink: A good year despite challenges

  February 1, 2020
  The year ending March 2019 was a good year for Translink against all odds because despite facing ongoing funding challenges, the company improved both its ridership as well as its financial condition.

• Companhia Brasileira de Trens Urbanos: Slow implementation impacting ambitious plans

  January 1, 2020
  Companhia Brasileira de Trens Urbanos (CBTU), a rail passenger services company in Brazil, intends to invest over BRL1.49 billion in expanding and upgrading its urban rail network.

• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority: Plans to invest USD9.2 billion during FY2020–25

  December 1, 2019
  The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), commonly referred to as Metro, is a tri-jurisdictional government agency that operates transit service in the Washington metropolitan area.

• Keolis Group: Recent operations and contracts

  November 1, 2019
  Keolis Group operates and maintains urban, suburban, and intercity networks in partnership with 300 transport authorities around the world.

• Prasarana: A good year for the public transport operator

  October 1, 2019
  Incorporated in 1998 by the Ministry of Finance, the 100 per cent government-owned Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) was set up to facilitate, undertake and expedite public infrastructure projects.

• Mowasalat: Review of operations, future strategy and deployment of technology

  September 1, 2019
  Mowasalat is the major transport services provider in Qatar, operating taxis, public transport buses, and school buses. Its main aim is to provide transport solutions in a safe, cost-effective, and sustainable manner.

• Empresa Publica Metropolitana Metro de Quito: Developing Ecuador’s first fully underground metro system

  August 1, 2019
  Empresa Publica Metropolitana Metro de Quito (EPMQQ) is developing Quito Metro, one of the largest infrastructure projects in Quito.

• Deutsche Bahn: Review of operations, performance and future strategy

  July 1, 2019
  The popularity of rail travel in Europe is increasing, a fact that is clearly reflected in Deutsche Bahn’s (DB) increasing long-distance passenger numbers for the fourth years in a row.

• Public Transport Authority of Western Australia: Struggling with declining ridership and weak financial performance

  June 1, 2019
  Public Transport Authority of Western Australia is the statutory authority that oversees the operations of public transport, designs and maintains the transport infrastructure, and protects the long-term viability of the freight rail corridor and allied infrastructure in the state of Western Australia.