On November 1, 2021, Autolinee Toscane, a subsidiary of RATP Dev in the Tuscany region of Italy, took over the entire regional public transit system in the region, and now holds the concession for all Tuscan public transportation, previously operated by 22 companies, acquiring all their buses, depots, offices, and hiring their staff. Autolinee Toscane now operates 965 buses routes, holds a fleet of 2,700 buses and totalizes 110 million kilometers traveled every year.
After 2 years of operation, the results are here: new buses to replace the ancient fleet, innovative recruitment campaigns to cover the chronic shortage of bus drivers as well as technological innovation, improvements to service and passenger information, video surveillance to ensure the security of operators and passengers on board. With €310 million invested in Tuscany in two years, to which a further €35 million will be added in 2024, including €24 million for the Tuscan bus fleet renewal, Autolinee Toscane’s ambition is clear: providing simpler, more comfortable, modern, innovative and technologically advanced local transportation in Tuscany, to ensure the highest standards of service in Europe.
Autolinee Toscane places customer relationship at the heart of its daily concerns. A revolutionary path has been initiated to encourage users to change their travel habits and opt for the bus. The ticket sales system has been optimized, with a ticket office open 24 hours a day thanks to a new online system on a brand new website with over 410,000 registered users. The new mobile app, launched in April 2023 and downloaded more than 562,000 times, is complementing the travel and purchasing experience. This comprehensive system has led to the sale of 805,000 subscriptions and 27 million tickets.
In the most recent survey, passengers gave a satisfaction score of 7.3 out of 10.
"The past two years cannot be summed up in numbers alone. It has become clear that Tpl (Tuscany local public transit) plays a key part in a cultural transformation closely connected to the environmental concerns of cities. By providing a more extensive service and having a greater presence, Tpl can reduce pollution, improve travel experience, and decrease accident costs with numerous benefits," commented Gianni Bechelli, President of Autolinee Toscane.
"These 770 days of intense, daily, and constant work, accompanied by massive investments, have produced major results. Much has been done, but we are and always will be committed to improving the service," added Autolinee Toscane CEO, Jean-Luc Laugaa. "To achieve the best performance, it is essential to get all the relevant parties involved in local public transport strategies, with investments, resources and, above all, consistent choices to make Tpl a top priority in mobility alternatives."
With over 5,000 employees, including 4,000 drivers, the company is now the largest private one in Tuscany. Autolinee Toscane continues the deployment of its smart recruitment plan to cope with the general shortage of bus drivers and welcomes the hire of 786 new recruits since 2021. The company is also providing a continuous training system among which the company academy, to train future drivers in-house, ensuring the best working conditions for the employees.
Autolinee Toscane’s commitment to quality is also materialized through a substantial number of quality certifications, among which UNI EN ISO 9001 (Quality); UNI EN ISO 14001 (Environment); SA8000 (Social Accountability); UNI ISO 45001 (Occupational Health and Safety), and more to come regarding Quality of Tpl Service and Road Safety.