“To approve the “Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of the Industrial Group of local public transport in Emilia-Romagna” for the implementation of the integration operation between the public bus transport companies, Tper spa, Seta spa and Start Romagna spa in order to regulate the collaborative carrying out of activities of common interest and satisfy the public interest”.
This is what was approved by the Provincial Council in the meeting on Tuesday 30 April with the Memorandum of Understanding for the establishment of the Industrial Group of local public transport in Emilia-Romagna, which, among its objectives, has that of “creating operators of assets, technical and financial capacity and skills suitable for pursuing a significant presence on the local public transport market and greater competitiveness, as well as increasing investment and financing capacity and fully enhancing the coverage and knowledge of the territory and the relationship with the contracting bodies in the level of user service”.
The objective of the draft agreement is to overcome the current corporate structure of the public transport system, which currently sees the presence of Seta in the areas of Modena, Reggio Emilia and Piacenza, Tper in the areas of Ferrara, Reggio Emilia and Bologna and Start Romagna in those of Ravenna, Forlì, Cesena and Rimini, with the creation of a single operator with capital dimensions, technical and investment capabilities and skills that increase its competitiveness in the market.
Territorial control will be maintained through the establishment of territorial operating companies, also verified on a provincial basis, called “Sot”, which will operate directly at local level, preserving the offer of the public TPL service and the specific needs of the reference basins, in consistency with the service contracts currently in force.
Furthermore, the protocol refers to “the strategic value of this process, for the development of greater synergies and economies of scale, in achieving objectives of efficiency and integration of services, rationalization of costs and optimization of the use of public resources, which management companies will have to develop through corporate and system efficiency and qualification processes”.
