Mariel launches first public transport bidding process

In Mariel, Mayor Mariel Fernández has initiated the first bidding process to restructure the local public transportation system. The plan aims to dismantle existing monopolies by dividing the service into three distinct zones, though the current model establishes territorial monopolies where companies do not compete within their assigned areas.

In this initial round, only one bidder, Transportes Panamericana S. R. L., submitted an offer for the single zone that does not require a fee. The company, which currently operates in San Luis, would be entering the Buenos Aires province for the first time.

Approximately 70 percent of the tendered package remains unresolved, as two of the three zones received no bidders and must undergo a new administrative process. Fernández noted that such transformations often create tension because they impact long-standing interests, and she suggested that the municipality might create a public transport company in partnership with private capital if necessary.