Government outsources school bus network in Luxembourg’s south

Bus transport for school pupils in the south of Luxembourg is to be taken over by the RGTR operator at the end of this year, the government said in a statement on Monday.

It comes amid a row over future funding for TICE, the operator responsible for the bus network in the south, including Esch-sur-Alzette, Differdange and Dudelange.

On Monday, the transport ministry issued a statement in response to an article in Tageblatt which cited an exchange between the ministry and the president of TICE. Both sides have been involved in negotiations since 2023 about a new financing agreement for the operator.

The planned expansion of the bus network in the south of the country, scheduled for December 2025, “will result in a significant additional burden for the union, making an adjustment of the lines within the TICE necessary”, the ministry said in its statement.

“Therefore, and to ensure the sustainability and quality of the service, the TICE union has decided to cease the public school transport service from December 2025,” the press release said.

The school service will instead be integrated into the national RGTR network of private bus operators which receive public funding to serve the other areas of the Grand Duchy, the ministry added.

“These changes will have no impact on the timetables and routes of existing school buses,” the ministry said.

Although negotiations over future funding remain ongoing, the ministry insisted that unions’ “concerns about the possible creation of a joint union and its impact on the working conditions of TICE staff or on possible privatisation are unfounded.”