History
A new Latvian company called “B-Bus”, the passenger transportation service provider in Latvia, has been created as a result of merger of Belgian “MandelCar Tourisme” and the Latvian “Blagovest Tour” in 2003. The SIA “B-Bus” has more than 20 years’ experience in the passenger transportation by providing public transport services according the official requirements of the European Union (EU), in Latvia and Lithuania. “B-Bus” group includes several Latvian companies: SIA “Rīgas mikroautobusu satiksme”, SIA “Sabiedriskais autobuss”, SIA “Ekspress-Ādaži” and SIA “Migar”.
The B-Bus group company SIA “Sabiedriskais autobuss” (SA) has an experience in the passenger transportation for more than 60 years. During the first years of activity, SA provided service on regional routes of local significance from Riga to Bauska, Liepāja, Saldus, Ventspils, Talsi, Kuldīga, etc., as well as on regional routes of inter-urban significance: in the county of Alūksne, Ventspils and in the county of Saldus. The “B-Bus” headquarters is located in Riga.
The oldest “Sabiedriskais autobuss” branch is located at Alūksne. It began its operation in 1949, when the Company started to provide the passenger transportation. During the Soviet Union (1966 – 1975) the Company’s registered name has been changed to Alūksnes auto transporta kantoris Nr.12. In a result of privatising, during the recovery of Latvia’s independence (1993 – 2002), the Company’s registered name has been changed to “Vidlatauto”.
The second oldest “Sabiedriskais autobuss” branch is located in Saldus. Its history starting in the 1958, when the company “Valsts Saldus autotransporta bāze” has been establish. During the first years of operation, the Company’s main business has been freight transport. In 1996, the Company’s registered name has been changed to “Saldus autobusu parks” and the Company has started to provide a passenger transportation service in the current municipality of Saldus. The Company has been merged with the branch of Alūksne and acquired the current name “Sabiedriskais autobuss” in July 2012.
By winning the procurement competition, launched by “Rigas satiksme” (RS) in 2013, the company (then a general partnership) “Rīgas mikroautobusu satiksme” (RMS) started to provide a passenger transportation service in the city of Riga on 18 day and 8-night schedule routes. By re-winning the procurement competition, launched by RS last year, RMS acquired the right to provide the service in the city of Riga for another 8 years.
In addition, B-Bus owned company SIA “B-Tour” offers a rental of passenger transport together with professional bus drivers for local and international tourism trips. The Company no longer exists since 2017, but under the brand “B-Tour” continues its operations in cooperation with “Sabiedriskais autobuss”.
“B-Bus” purchased the company SIA “Ekspress-Ādaži” at the end of 2015. Currently “Ekspress-Ādaži” provides passenger and pupils transportation service on 10 regional routes of local significance in county of Ādaži.
“B-Bus” purchased SIA “Migar”, a company with experience in the passenger transportation in county of Jelgava since 1998, at the end of 2016. Currently “Migar” provides passenger transportation service on 30 regional routes of local significance.
A service contract with SIA “Autobusu parks Jūrmala -SV”, a company with experience in the passenger transportation in Jūrmala since 1958, has been signed at the end of 2016. The Company’s registered name has been changed to SIA “Jūrmalas autobusu satiksme” (JAS) in February, 2017. Currently JAS provides passenger transport service in the city of Jūrmala on 7 routes by 16 ISUZU buses, two electrical buses, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen Crafter minibuses.
SIA “B-Bus” purchased a Lithuanian company UAB “Transrevis”, located in Vilnius city, in the summer 2017. SIA “B-Bus” is expanding its business outside Latvia’s borders by participating in various procurements for the provision of passenger transport services in Lithuania and Estonia since 2017. “B-Bus” group includes several Lithuanian companies: UAB “B-Bus”, UAB “Transrevis” (Vilnius), SIA “Rigas mikroautobusu satiksme” filialas (Siauliai) and UAB “Uma Trans” (Kaunas).
By winning the procurement competition, launched by Vilnius City in September 2017, SIA “Rigas mikroautobusu satiksme” filialas in cooperation with the Vilnius company UAB “Transrevis” gains the right to provide the passenger transportation service on certain routes of Vilnius city and intercity routes.
By winning a procurement competition, launched by the Siauliai District Municipality in 2018,
the branch of SIA “Rīgas mikroautobusu satiksme” start to provide the passenger transportation service on 13 routes of local significance.
UAB “B-Bus” purchased a company UAB “Uma Trans”, which provides the passenger transportation service on 6 routes in Kaunas district, in the summer of 2019. UAB “B-Bus” won a procurement competition in the district of Prienai at the end of 2019 and since started to provide the passenger transportation service on 13 routes.
Information about SIA “B-Bus” and UAB “B-Bus” projects in Latvia and Lithuania in 2019.
Financial data
Modern technologies
“B-Bus” uses GPS and GPRS systems as it takes care of passenger comfort to provide high-quality service. Electronic tickets or e-talons are provided for pupils in all districts, which also allows local municipalities to carry out accurate statistics on the total number of trips. By using GPRS system we are more efficient and operational of planning the routes, accurately measuring passenger traffic and adjusting the required capacity of the buses. By using GPS data, we able to react more quickly, when a bus needs for a replacement in a result of a technical problem.
Safety
Our top priority is the safety of passengers, employees and other road users. Our bus drivers are highly skilled, experienced and trained to act in a variety of unforeseen situations on the road.
Environmental concerns
We are using more environmentally friendly buses and minibuses by providing a passenger transport service on a daily basis, to reduce CO2 emissions. SIA “B-Bus” invests in bus fleet renewal by purchasing environmentally friendly public transport with Euro 6 engines and electric buses in every year.
Easy access
To be easily accessible to different groups of passengers, including older people, persons, who is traveling with children and for the persons with disabilities (with wheelchair) a lot of buses are equipped with a flap ramp.
Vision of the future
The “B-Bus” group intends to provide passenger transportation with 1500 to 1700 buses throughout the Baltic region by 2023. The objective will be achieved by participating in and winning tenders launched by state and local authorities, as well as by purchasing other public transport companies.
In order to meet our objectives, the B-Bus group is expected to invest around EUR 120 million over the next three years.
Group brand “B-Bus” is a strong and well-recognized brand in the Baltic. This gives us confidence to expand our business in Eastern Europe and to become the largest, private passenger transportation provider in Eastern Europe by 2030 with an annual turnover of more than one billion EUR.