Keolis wins a new contract in Las Vegas and
Transcription
Keolis wins a new contract in Las Vegas and
P r e s s r e l e a se Keolis wins a new contract in Las Vegas and strengthens its position in North America Paris, 25th February 2013 Keolis Transit America (KTA), Keolis’ subsidiary based in California, will operate, as from the 7th July 2013, the majority of the bus network in Las Vegas. Yesterday, the Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) awarded the southern fixed-route bus contract to Keolis Transit America (KTA). The five-year contract, extensible to ten years, is one of two management contracts for the Southern Nevada transit system. It will generate a total turnover of 500 million US dollars. The whole network was divided into 2 lots with the objective of having 2 different operators running the services. Keolis won the most important of the two packages (approximately 30 million passengers a year), which includes service along the resort corridor of Las Vegas Boulevard as well as the Deuce and SDX express route. KTA won this contract as a result of its commitment, reliability and its capacity to understand and adapt to the local authorities’ needs and to build strong partner relationships with them. The bus fleet counts 207 vehicles (55% of the whole network) including double decker buses and 50 BRTs (Bus Rapid Transit). These buses all use alternative energies (Gas and hybrid vehicles). There are 15 fixed routes including 10 local routes and five express routes. Keolis will be responsible for staffing, customer service, maintenance and general operations for the system. “We are obviously very pleased that Keolis has been selected to manage and operate this essential component of the regional mass transit system in Southern Nevada,” said Michael Griffus, Chief Executive Officer for Keolis Transit America. “We believe that this system has great potential to grow and expand, and we look forward to partnering with the RTC to bring our commitment to quality service, customer appreciation and transportation best practices.” www.keolis.com Keolis has selected transit administrator Dwight Brashear as general manager for Southern Nevada operations. Dwight has more than 25 years of transit experience, starting first as a bus operator, rising through the ranks to manage the San Diego Transit system. He also has served as general manager and vice president for transit operations in other communities, including Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Washington, DC. In 2005, while serving in Baton Rouge, Brashear was selected by Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco to become the state transportation coordinator for the evacuation of the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina. Dwight joined Keolis Transit America in 2010 as executive vice president of business development. A key milestone in North America This is a major step for Keolis in the USA and fits the growth strategy the Group has in this region, both in transit and rail activities. “This new contract is the result of the successful integration of KTA in the Group,” comments Bernard Tabary, CEO International. “This will boost our growth on the US market in key areas: urban transportation, para-transit, shuttle services, and on-demand transportation. It shows that we can become a major player on this market, where we currently have several ongoing tenders”. Keolis has been in Canada since 1999 and has had rail activities in Washington area since 2010 with the commuter service Virginia Railway Express. The creation of KTA at the start of 2012 (following the acquisition of Tectrans in November 2011) has opened new perspectives to the Group by complementing Keolis’ existing rail activities with a local expertise in transit and paratransit transportation. About Keolis The Keolis Group develops tailor-made mobility solutions to suit individual local requirements. The Kolis Group is a market leader in France and a major player on the public transport spectrum in Europe and worldwide. Established in 13 countries, the Group generated revenue of 4.9 billion euros in 2012 and employs 52,600 people. Contacts : Keolis Ségolène Deeley International Communications +33 1 71 18 01 46 [email protected] www.keolis.com