Keolis wins contract for the Perpignan Méditerranée Métropole public transport network

with the objective of increasing ridership and speeding up the energy transition
6th July 2022

On 30 May 2022, Perpignan Méditerranée Métropole awarded Keolis the operations and maintenance of its transport and mobility services1, Sankéo, from 1 September 2022, for an 8-year period with cumulative revenue of €295 million.
Keolis’ mission includes growing the mobility offer, modernising information and distribution tools and launching four high-performance 100% electric bus lines. By 2030, Keolis is committed to increasing sales revenues by 30,2%.

A new operator to dynamise the mobility offer, modernise the network and contribute to the energy transition

To achieve a seamless transition, Keolis will take on the entire workforce from the previous operator and in line with the existing labour agreements. Working hand-in-hand with a new executive team, Keolis will ensure that the transfer of all personnel currently assigned to the subcontracted Sankéo services runs smoothly for its subcontractors.

From the first year of the contract, Keolis intends to significantly improve the customer experience, with enhanced passenger information, a new e-shop and a new single application integrating information on mobility and payment methods using the M'ticket solution.

Innovation is at the heart of this new contract. From 2023, two new services will be deployed: post-payment allowing unlimited non-subscription travel at preferential prices for 10 trips or more, and open-payment enabling purchase of a single-trip ticket by swiping a credit card on the on-board ticket reader.

From 2023, the new "Pulséo" performance bus lines will be launched with the deployment of 20 100% electric vehicles by the end of the contract.

A new mobility offer, to be progressively implemented by January 2024

Capitalising on its successfully restructured network in 2018, Perpignan Méditerranée Métropole aims to continue this momentum by implementing a new mobility offer that is connected, reinforced, and integrated, notably based on:

- 4 high-performance "Pulséo" bus lines featuring extended service hours and new on-board services including wi-fi, USB ports and a heritage discovery application

- 4 main lines, serving the towns of the first outer suburbs and the dense districts of Perpignan, with faster routes to the city centre

- 20 daily express round trips to and from Perpignan city centre, ensuring up to 20 minutes of commute time savings for 20 towns

- Extended and modernised Transport On-Demand (TOD) services, covering all suburban areas and adapted to the specific needs of employees in large employment areas. Services will be available on reservation up to 1 hour or 30 minutes prior to the desired departure time, depending on the service

Key figures of the Sankéo network

  • 36 municipalities and 272,000 inhabitants

  • 35 lines

  • 250 vehicles

  • €5.7 million in commercial revenue (expected on average per year throughout the duration of the contract)

  • 8.2 million km (expected on average per year throughout the duration of the contract)

  • 11.6 million journeys (expected on average per year throughout the duration of the contract)

  • €295 million cumulative revenue over 8 years