The Western Australian (WA) Government has awarded the $1.3 billionTransperth Fremantle and Rockingham-Mandurah bus service contracts to Transdev. The contracts will see Transdev operate and maintain bus services in Fremantle and Rockingham-Mandurah areas for a 10-year period, with operations due to commence on 2 October. While this contract award announcement has been published as a competitive process, no further details surrounding the procurement process have been released.
The announcement comes after the NSW Government awarded the contract for the Sydney Metropolitan Bus Contracts – Region Nine to Transdev John Holland Buses in November last year. That contract involves Transdev and John Holland operating and maintaining bus services across Sydney’s CBD and south-eastern suburbs over an eight-year period, with operations having commenced in April.
Transdev has operated the contract for the Fremantle and Rockingham Bus Contract since 1996. In addition to the Fremantle and Rockingham Bus Contract, Transdev currently operates the free Central Area Transit (CAT) buses in Fremantle and Perth CBD, as well as special event services to Optus Stadium and rail replacement services when required.
The Transperth system consists of a bus network, comprising 1,500 buses, a fully-electrified urban train system, comprising 330 rail cars, and a ferry service, comprising three ferries.
The Transperth bus service network is divided into 11 contract areas which are currently operated by three operators. These include:
- Path Transit, a subsidiary of Keolis Downer, which operates the Kalamunda and Morley bus contracts
- Swan Transit, a subsidiary of Transit Systems, which operates the Marmion, Canning, Claremont, Midland (including Midland shuttle), Southern River and Joondalup areas, and
- Transdev, which operates the Fremantle-Cockburn, Rockingham-Mandurah, and the Perth CAT contracts.