CZECH REPUBLIC
Arriva has been awarded 14 separate bus contracts in the first competitive public tender for Central Bohemia, the largest region of the Czech Republic, worth €500 million over a 10-year term. The new contracts, which will see a large increase in fleet size, come into effect from December next year, securing the company’s operations in the region.
Arriva already has extensive experience in Central Bohemia, having been an operator there since 2009. Its existing fleet of 300 buses will be re-branded in the colours of the local passenger transport authority for the Prague and Central-Bohemia region. In addition, the operator will bring 163 new vehicles into its fleet, increasing the size of the fleet to 463. The first 40 new buses are expected to join the fleet this year, with the remainder arriving in 2024.
Under the new contracts, Arriva will operate 34.1 million kilometres a year, which represents a 42% market share for the region. Sian Leydon, Arriva’s Managing Director for Mainland Europe, said: “This is an important win for our business in Czech Republic and secures our long-established reputation as one of the leading operators of public transport services in the country. Central Bohemia is the largest region in Czech and surrounds the capital city of Prague, so we’re delighted to have secured our future there. We look forward to working with the local authorities to continue providing sustainable and modern public transport services for the benefit of passengers.”
The contract award in Central Bohemia follows more recent success in the country with a 15-year contract to operate rail services in Pilsen and a 10-year contract for South Moravia.
