Keolis to test an hydrogen bus in Alès (FR), within the reorganization of mobility network

Keolis obtains the renewal of the public transport contract in Alès, France, and will test a 100% hydrogen bus. On 3 December 2020, the Syndicat Mixte des Transports du Bassin d’Alès (SMBTA), in France’s Gard department, renewed its trust in Keolis for the operation and maintenance of its entire NTecC public transport network, which will be renamed Ales’Y from 1 April 2021. All mobility services will be refashioned under this new name, Keolis points out: Ales’Y by Bus, Ales’y Carpool, Ales’y by Bike and Ales’y by Scooter.

Keolis: energy transition in Alès

This new public service concession, lasting nine years and eight months, began on 1 January 2021 and will generate cumulative revenue of over €120M. Between now and the end of the contract, Keolis, whose objective is to increase network ridership and commercial revenues by 28%, will support the conurbation in the energy transition of its vehicle fleet, which will notably result in the deployment of France’s first public carpooling network, the development of new mobility services and the introduction of a hydrogen-powered bus.

Ales’Y, new public transport network in Alès

Intended to serve the city of Alès and 101 other municipalities of the SMBTA, which has 147,000 inhabitants, the current network, called NTecC, is structured around 113 lines (13 urban, 25 suburban, 8 lines serving the markets, 60 school lines and 7 on-demand transport routes), city centre electric shuttles, and an electrically assisted bicycle rental service.

Alternative fuels in Alès

In order to respond more precisely to the mobility needs of this partly rural area, the future transport network, which will be called Ales’Y as of 1 April 2021, will evolve by integrating 25 additional lines and will benefit from numerous developments including the conversion of city centre shuttles into free of charge, 100% electric vehicles. Following the launch of two shuttles in 2020, a third one will be added to the free city centre shuttle service. A carpooling service will be launched in spring 2021 and electrically assisted scooter will be added.

Additionally, to support the conurbation in its desire to accelerate the energy transition in its region, Keolis will initiate an evaluation process for vehicles running on alternative fuels. From May 2021, a first 100% hydrogen bus will be trialled on lines 1 to 4 of the network.