Paris opened its buses to competition, and the incumbent kept most of them
Île-de-France Mobilités tendered RATP's bus network in 12 lots. RATP's own subsidiary won eight; an Italian operator won its first Paris contract.
Île-de-France Mobilités divided the RATP bus network into 12 lots, tendered from 2021, with operations transferring between November 1, 2025 and November 1, 2026, according to RATP Group. A 2023 bill extended RATP's monopoly from the end of 2024 to the end of 2026 to avoid disruption during the 2024 Olympics.
RATP Cap Île-de-France, the group's competitive subsidiary, won eight of the 12 lots. Among the others, Transdev won the Ourcq lot and ATM of Milan won Croix du Sud, becoming the first foreign company to run public transport in Paris, according to Sustainable Bus.
ESS view: competitive tendering does not have to mean incumbents lose. What it changes is the contract: defined lots, published performance regimes and clear accountability, which US agencies can learn from.