A privately owned transport group that started operations in 1996 after winning a Transperth contract to run bus services in Midland has secured a major new contract in Singapore.
A privately owned transport group that started operations in 1996 after winning a Transperth contract to run bus services in Midland has secured a major new contract in Singapore.
Transit Systems has become one of Australia’s largest privately owned passenger transport businesses over the past 20 years, with 2,000 staff running its Swan Transit operation in Perth, similar bus services in Adelaide, Sydney and Darwin, and ferry services in Queensland.
The group expanded to the UK in 2013, where it operates spin-off company Tower Transit.
It is now set to expand to Singapore, after Tower Transit won the Land Transport Authority’s first tender under the government’s new contracting model.
Tower Transit will operate 380 buses in Singapore, commencing in stages during Q2 2016 for a period of five years.
It intends to employ more than 900 people in Singapore.
That is additional to the 2,000 people it employs in London, where it operates 650 vehicles.
Brisbane-based chief executive Clint Feuerherdt said Transit Systems and Tower Transit shared a mutual passion for innovative and efficient transport solutions.
“We believe this has been critical to both companies’ success - here in Australia and now through Tower Transit on the global platform,” he said.
Transit Systems was established by directors Neil Smith, Graham Leishman and Lance Francis, with the partnership originating with the successful bid for the Midland bus service.
Neil Smith and Graham Leishman are also directors of London-based Tower Transit, along with Adam Leishman and Clint Feuerherdt.
In Perth, Swan Transit claims a 36 per cent market share for public bus services.
Its direct competitors are Transdev, owned by French multinationals Veolia Environnement and Caisse des Depots, and Path Transit, owned by Australian Transit Enterprises.
ATE was acquired in March for $163 million by the Keolis Downer joint venture, which is owned by international tram operator Keolis and Australian contractor Downer.
Keolis Downer also runs Melbourne’s trams and the Gold Coast’s privately owned light rail service.
Transdev operates light rail services in Sydney’s inner west, and is part of a consortium that was recently named as the developer and operator of a $2.1 billion light rail system that will run 12 kilometres to Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
