In brief: RATP may get out of Transdev

Since 2002, RATP, Paris transit operator, has 25% of Transdev’s shares and may have to sell quickly this participation in its “subsidiary” Transdev, a transit company that operates several networks in France. Relations between both companies are complicated, since Philippe Segretain, Transdev President, did not agree with this alliance with RATP since the beginning. The [...]

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Public Private Partnerships, French practices and evolutions

What really are PPPs and PFIs? A wide concept, difficult to define A common definition of PPPs would be: “Public-private partnership (PPP) describes a government service or private business venture which is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies.” The appellation “Public Private Partnership” actually covers all [...]

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In brief: A textmessage-train-ticket in Belgium

SNCB, the National Railway Company of Belgium (Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Belges), will start a testing phase to implement a textmessaging system for its train tickets deliveries. The textmessaging system will be tested by frequent train riders of SNCB lines: holders of monthly or annual ticket, and some professionals traveling for business purpose. [...]

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DHL, FedEx & Co: Deutsche Post Names New CEO

At the question: “Is DHL going bad?” that I asked in a previous post on February 14, I did not get any answers from UPS, DHL, FedEx, or ABX people. Previous posts about DHL-FedEx future-ex-love story were more animated, and since I still want to know a little bit more about what is happening to [...]

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Lost in Paris airport? ADP found a solution

They will not tell you about strikes (neither Air France’s ones, nor air controllers’), they will not be more pleasant than the average French “John Doe”, but they are at least supposed to get you back on track when lost in Paris airports. Who are they? Simply new signs that Aéroport de Paris, the company [...]

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Freight is back on the Silk Road and the Trans-Siberian

It was largely covered by medias worldwide when it happened in January: a freight train leaved Beijing and crossed Asia, Russia, to finally reach Hamburg only 15 days after departure. After this successful experiment, it should be worth to give it a real try. One of the main effects of the development of trade between [...]

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In brief: Air France KLM large investment in Alitalia

Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the French-Dutch airline will invest up to €3 billion over six years to completely take over the Italian airline. Air France KLM Group would then own 100% of the Italian carrier.During Singapore airshow, Leo van Wijk, Air France KLM Vice President, declared that a deal may be concluded [...]

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In brief: Urban mobility needs European tools

During a recent session of the European Parliament, elected officials from European cities and from the Parliament asked the European Commission to transpose its “Green Paper on Urban Mobility” into a practical action plan. What cities need is a handbook providing instruments adaptable to multiple types of urban areas, that would help cities reducing congestion, [...]

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More low-cost flights… more revenues for airports

More low cost flights in Europe, and further Transavia, Air France KLM low cost company added new flights to the Netherlands. Starting March 31, 2008, two new flights will leave Orly airport, in the southern suburbs of Paris and land in Rotterdam; prices will start at €49 one way. Also, the low cost airline will [...]

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€500 million for railways in the Port of Hamburg

When I say that we, in France, do not do much for our ports, our railways… I am a bit provoking or maybe just “challenging”. What I see on the other side of the Rhine river, in Germany, is quite interesting… Everybody in France discusses about private investment for public infrastructures, about easing Public-Private Partnerships, [...]

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