Montreal & Paris- May 16th, 2017 – The RATP Group announces that it has acquired a stake in Communauto Paris. The RATP group is investing in the Paris subsidiary of Communauto, a long-standing carsharing player, through its new subsidiary, RATP Capital Innovation, dedicated to investing in start-ups.
This first acquisition demonstrates the RATP Group’s desire to strengthen its links with start-ups to encourage innovation and the development of new services. It is above all a way for the company to adapt to the new needs of both travelers and communities, in an evolving mobility market.
Elizabeth Borne, RATP’s CEO and Benoit Robert, Communauto’s CEO
A positive association for both parties
A new form of sustainable mobility, carsharing offers a reliable alternative to the individual car and is complementary to the traditional offer of public transport. It also improves the quality of life in the city by reducing car congestion and freeing up public space so far dedicated to parking.
The Ile-de-France region, the historic territory of the RATP group, is particularly conducive to the development of station-based carsharing, given the population density and the exceptional level of public transport.
For Elisabeth Borne, President and CEO of the RATP group, “This stake allow us to add carsharing, a mobility option with a bright future, to our range of services. Since 2012, Communauto has allowed Parisians to discover the virtues of station-based carsharing and now wishes to extend its services on a regional scale” . She continues: “The RATP Group is proud to accompany Communauto in this new phase of its development. “
For his part, Benoît Robert, CEO of Communauto, says : “This association represents an important milestone. In all markets where we operate, we have always wanted to integrate our offer with public transport in order to create synergies between the two services. This underlines a paradigm shift. Our common objective is to replace as many personal cars as possible with quality mobility services. “
About RATP group
With 16 million passengers transported daily around the world, the RATP Group is the fifth largest urban transport operator in the world. With its 14 metro lines (including two automatic lines), its two RER lines, its 7 tram lines, its 350 bus lines and its shuttle services to the two airports in the Paris region, the multimodal network operated by RATP in the Paris area is the largest multimodal network in the world to be managed by a single company. The RATP Group is able to imagine, design and carry out infrastructure development projects, operate and maintain networks, regardless of the mode of transport (metro, regional train, tramway, bus) , Or to develop innovative mobility services (passenger information, tele-ticketing, pricing, customer marketing).
About Communauto
Communauto was founded in Québec City in 1994. The company has a social, environmental and urbanistic mission. It is not only the oldest carsharing company in North America but also the first North American carsharing organisation to offer a large fleet of 100% electric vehicles as well as both station-based and free-floating carsharing services. It service relies on more than 2000 vehicles. Its network is in full expansion, present in 7 canadian cities : Kingston, Ottawa, Gatineau, Montreal (Laval and Longueuil), Québec, Sherbrooke, Halifax and, since 2012, in Paris, France.
Informations :
Groupe RATP : 01 58 78 37 37 / servicedepresse@ratp.fr
Communauto :
Brigitte Geoffroy / T +1 514 499-2956 bgeoffroy@communauto.ca
www.communauto.ca
Federica Campina
Agency Chief Officer, Communauto Paris
+33 1 72 09 07 75/ +33 6 31 75 80 27 fcampina@communauto.paris<