At Keolis, to solve this equation, we have opted for "frugal innovation", which aims to find the simplest and most effective solutions possible while using the least resources possible. We have taken a close look at how we operate, how our customers behave, or how we are organised, all in search of adjustments that call for little, if any, investment. We can reveal that  this search has proven productive!

We first looked at the problems surrounding rush hour. How could we improve passenger travelling conditions during peak periods without increasing our transport capacity? Without increasing our service frequency or adding another train or tram? To find a different solution, we turned our focus not towards supply, but towards demand. One of the places we did this was in Bordeaux, where the tram has in a sense become a victim of its own success, and is saturated at peak hour. We discovered that a third of passengers took the tram for one, two or three stops at most. These are journeys that, for some users, could conceivably be walked.

It may seem counterintuitive for a mobility service operator, but we decided to encourage some of these passengers to use their feet! Posters are displayed at stops inviting them to walk to the next stop, highlighting the health benefits. In Dijon, to increase the stimulus effect of our approach, we called on help from experts in the neuroscience community. We added messages along the route to accompany people as they walked. The outcome of this effort in Dijon in 2024 was that 16% of passengers preferred to walk rather than take the tram along Boulevard de la Trémouille. This enabled us to get the required capacity back and improve travelling conditions without being obliged to acquire new rolling stock.

Another issue, also on the demand side, is its distribution. On the Rennes metro, we had to cater to ultra-rush hour conditions in the morning, between 7:40 and 8:00 a.m., before the academic day began, with classes all timetabled at the same time. We therefore worked with the city council’s scheduling department and the University to space out the starting times of lessons. On line A, which calls at University of Rennes 2, thanks to this new staggered timetable – with lessons now starting between 8:00 and 8:30 a.m. – we managed to smooth out the peak hour, with a 14% drop in ridership during these time slots. In autumn earlier this year, we did the same on line B, with four secondary schools.

In the examples above, we avoided or delayed heavy investment in rolling stock by driving behavioural change. Some cases however call for a little technical innovation and investment. For example, in Dijon, the Gare Foch tram station has two lines running through it. We extended the platform length so that trams on both lines could stop there at the same time, and we simplified the signalling system. By taking similar action at four other points on the network, we increased the service frequency on line 1 by 20% without having to add rolling stock, thus making substantial savings compared to what additional vehicles would have cost.

Still with a view to "doing better with less", we examined the issue of ageing trams, which are designed to operate for 30 years. With this deadline approaching in many large cities in France, we have teamed up with a partner in Clermont-Ferrand to test the alternative solution of an overhaul designed to extend the lifespan of the Bordeaux trams by 10 years. This will save huge amounts of money: at least €500,000 per tram, the equivalent of more than €30 million in avoided costs for Bordeaux’s 62-tram fleet.

In the same vein, we also turned our attention to our employees. One idea is to encourage them to adopt eco-driving habits, which can save 10% of fuel on a diesel bus and up to 20% of energy on an electric bus. We have designed an app whereby drivers can compete against one another. It receives data directly from the vehicles on braking intensity, acceleration, etc. The drivers find themselves drawn into the game. They change their driving style and in so doing, improve passenger conditions by avoiding jolts during the ride.

Another major issue is absenteeism. To help our drivers enjoy a better balance between the demanding schedules required by our professions (early morning, weekend and public holiday shifts) and their personal lives, we have developed an algorithm that asks them for their preferences when driving rosters are drawn up. In Dijon, nearly 85% of their first and second preferences are satisfied in the rosters generated.

By thinking outside the box, in collaboration with our partners, we strongly believe that we can find other solutions, make further savings and continue to improve our operations for the benefit of everyone’s mobility in every community.