‘India Needs A Safe Transport System’

Keolis, the Paris-based French transport conglomerate, which has ‘Think Like a Passenger’ as its motto, caters to three billion commuters every year. It made its foray into the Indian market in 2012 by winning the contract for operation and management of the Hyderabad Metro Rail project. Bernard Tabary, CEO International, Keolis, tells BW Businessworld’s Naina Sood that his company is committed to partnering with Indian authorities in making public transportation the preferred mode of commuting and achieving the goal of safe and reliable urban mobility. Edited excerpts of the interview:

How has Keolis’s journey in India been so far?
Our experience in India has been very enriching. From a cultural point of view, we have learnt a lot about the Indian culture, the habits, the people and the political environment. We have seen a very positive attitude so far in authorities in terms of knowledge sharing about the various models and approaches for operation and maintenance we are working on and how these could be adapted to India. Keolis is committed to partnering with Indian authorities in making public transportation the preferred mode of commuting and achieve the goal of safe and reliable urban mobility.

You have the mandate for operation and management of the Hyderabad Metro project, which hopefully will be operational by next year. What were the major challenges that you encountered?
It has been a wonderful experience to prepare for the launch of the Hyderabad metro. We are honoured to have been chosen by L&T in 2012 to operate and maintain the future automatic metro in Hyderabad and were lucky to be involved from the early stages of the project. This gave us the opportunity to bring the operator’s point of view during the design and build phase.
Since 2012, we have recruited and trained nearly 500 employees and this is an ongoing process. While the opportunity gave us useful experience, we have also had some challenges. The most important challenge concerns service tax regulations, which needs to be modified to facilitate and encourage private companies to do business in India, and this is valid for all sectors.

Keolis has a philosophy of ‘Thinking like a passenger’. Could you please elaborate on that?
At Keolis, passengers are at the heart of everything we do. Services are shaped by local authorities and by individual passenger choices and expectations. By ‘Thinking Like a Passenger’, we aim to provide a personalised travel experience for each of the three billion people that we carry annually.

How important do you think is the participation of international private players in operations and management in India? What can they bring to the table?
The Indian government is currently focusing on providing an efficient public transportation system. In order to deliver the best service to passengers, it is crucial to rely on world leading partners and world class standards which will provide optimal safety, reliability, efficiency and connectivity.

Operation and maintenance (O&M) of metro systems is a specialised skill and plays a critical role in ensuring a reliable, affordable, safe and efficient transportation system. Global O&M service providers are able to draw upon their experience in operating and maintaining systems around the world. In addition, outsourcing O&M to private operators who, in turn, will assume the risk of operational cost for the contract period will help Metro SPVs to have a clear sight of expected cash-flows and costs for such periods.

Why do you think developing countries like India need more international private participation in developing a good transport system?
The Indian urban transport sector has visionary leaders and competent engineers who have achieved a lot already. But India is facing challenges on account of many large cities, rapid urbanisation and economic development. To address these challenges and achieve its growth ambitions, India needs thousands of kilometres of high-quality safe and reliable urban mass transport system. These include metro and suburban rail networks around all major cities. International private O&M partners can help develop these projects through their worldwide expertise and support the development of the country through local employment and development of people’s skills.

What are your future plans/projects in the pipeline in India?
Keolis is focusing on the preparation for the launch of the Hyderabad Metro in 2017. Our priority is to ensure a successful launch, high operational performance and provide Hyderabad inhabitants with a world-class service. We are also looking closely at some major upcoming mass rapid transport projects in the country.

Keolis is one of the first companies to start driverless operations. Do you think we could see something like that in India as well?
Driverless metros are definitely adapted to answer the needs of large metropolitan areas. They provide maximum use of the system’s potential without undermining safety: high frequency of service, high passenger numbers, smooth passenger flows and rapid response to incidents.

How can Keolis help India achieve its ambitious target of Smart Cities?
Keolis believes that innovation helps enhance a city’s attractiveness and contributes to Smart City policies. The group supports elected representatives in their drive to use digital technologies to make cities better places to live, enhancing inhabitants’ comfort and fostering economic development. Through its “connected mobility” approach, Keolis uses technology to simplify citizens’ daily lives by devising and deploying new services and mobility solutions to meet passengers’ ever-growing demands for ultra-personalised solutions.

The author was in Lille, France at the invitation of Keolis