Public-transport companies RET and Qbuzz withdraw concentration notification

Dutch public-transport companies RET and Qbuzz have withdrawn their notification of a concentration concerning the creation of a proposed joint bus company, RET Buzz. Both companies today informed the Netherlands Competition Authority of the withdrawal. The NMa had earlier communicated to them that it intended to set a license requirement. The NMa had informed the companies that further investigation was needed to determine whether competition in the market concerning tenders for bus concessions in the Rotterdam area would be impeded as a result of the joint venture between RET and Qbuzz.

As RET and Qbuzz have withdrawn their application, they are not authorized to submit a joint bid in the current tender of the bus concession in the Rotterdam area. It remains to be seen whether they will submit individual bids.




RET is a municipal public-transport company in the greater Rotterdam area. Qbuzz is a regional public-transport company, based in the city of Amersfoort, with most of its operations currently in the northern part of the Netherlands, and only some in the Rotterdam area.