Semitan
Encyclopedia
Semitan is the company responsible for the comprehensive public transport network of the Nantes Métropole
, the urban community of the French city of Nantes
. The network operated by Semitan is marketed under the name and logo of tan, and this abbreviated form is also sometimes used to refer to the company. Semitan is itself an acronym for the Société d'Economie MIxte des Transports en commun de l'Agglomération Nantaise.
The tan network comprises a tram
way network of three routes, a single bus rapid transit
route, a network of local bus
es, an airport express bus, and three water bus routes. A single common ticketing system covers all these modes, and also extends to suburban trains within the Métropole boundaries, although these trains are not operated by Semitan.
Semitan is a mixed private and public sector company. As of 2007, its principal shareholders are the Nantes Métropole (65%), the transport group Transdev
(14.99%), the banking group Caisse d'Epargne
(10%), and the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Nantes (10%). It has been responsible, through renewable 6 years "public service delegations", for the public transport of Nantes since it was formed in 1979, although the precise area covered has varied over the years.
Currently, the Tan network comprises three tram
way lines (the Tramway de Nantes
), one bus rapid transit
line (the Nantes BusWay), three water bus
lines (the Navibus
), and an extensive bus
network of 56 local routes, three express routes, and 9 community or shuttle routes.
Tan also operates the Navette Tan Air express bus between the Nantes Atlantique Airport
and the city centre.
Tickets are sold by bus drivers on local services, and on the Navette Tan Air, but not on BusWay buses or on trams. Ticket machines can be found at every tram and BusWay stop, and tickets must be purchased before boarding the vehicle. There are also a few staffed ticket offices in the centre of Nantes, opening for limited periods only.
The 109.5 million journeys in 2007 represent 81.2 million actual passenger trips, where a trip is defined as one or more connecting journeys.
In providing this service, the cumulative distance travelled by the Semitan fleet in 2007 was approximately 24.8 million kilometers, of which 4.5 million were run by trams, 15.5 million by Semitan owned buses, and a further 4.7 million by chartered buses.
Urban Community of Nantes
The Urban Community of Nantes , also known as Nantes Métropole, is the intercommunal structure gathering the city of Nantes and some of its suburbs.It includes 24 communes:...
, the urban community of the French city of Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
. The network operated by Semitan is marketed under the name and logo of tan, and this abbreviated form is also sometimes used to refer to the company. Semitan is itself an acronym for the Société d'Economie MIxte des Transports en commun de l'Agglomération Nantaise.
The tan network comprises a tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way network of three routes, a single bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
route, a network of local bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, an airport express bus, and three water bus routes. A single common ticketing system covers all these modes, and also extends to suburban trains within the Métropole boundaries, although these trains are not operated by Semitan.
Semitan is a mixed private and public sector company. As of 2007, its principal shareholders are the Nantes Métropole (65%), the transport group Transdev
Transdev
Transdev was a major international public transport group based in Issy-les-Moulineaux near Paris, France and operating in several countries. Originally created as Société centrale pour l'équipement du territoire in 1955 and developing transportation activities since 1973, Transdev was a subsidiary...
(14.99%), the banking group Caisse d'Epargne
Groupe Caisse d'Epargne
Groupe Caisse d'Epargne is a French semi-cooperative banking group, founded in 1818, with around 4700 branches in the country. The group is active in retail and private banking, as well as holding a significant stake in the publicly traded investment bank Natixis.-Operations:The group's most...
(10%), and the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Nantes (10%). It has been responsible, through renewable 6 years "public service delegations", for the public transport of Nantes since it was formed in 1979, although the precise area covered has varied over the years.
Network
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
way lines (the Tramway de Nantes
Tramway de Nantes
The Nantes tramway is a tramway system located around the city of Nantes, France. The first tramway in Nantes opened in 1879 and closed in 1958 due to bombing damage during World War II, while the present tramway was re-introduced to the city in 1985....
), one bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...
line (the Nantes BusWay), three water bus
Water taxi
A water taxi or water bus, also known as a commuter boat, is a watercraft used to provide public transport, usually but not always in an urban environment. Service may be scheduled with multiple stops, operating in a similar manner to a bus, or on demand to many locations, operating in a similar...
lines (the Navibus
Navibus
Navibus is a group of water bus routes in the French city of Nantes, operated as part of the Tan urban transit network that also includes buses and trams. Routes operate on both the River Loire and the River Erdre, and accept the full range of standard Tan tickets.The current services date back to...
), and an extensive bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
network of 56 local routes, three express routes, and 9 community or shuttle routes.
Tan also operates the Navette Tan Air express bus between the Nantes Atlantique Airport
Nantes Atlantique Airport
Nantes Atlantique Airport is an international airport serving Nantes, France. It is located southwest of the city, in Bouguenais.The airport is operated by the Chambre de commerce et d'industrie de Nantes...
and the city centre.
Ticketing
The transport network in Nantes uses paper tickets and passes. There are no "travel zones", as a ticket or pass gives access everywhere on the network in greater Nantes. The basic tickets and passes can be used on most forms of public transport in the Nantes Métropole area, including trams, BusWay, local buses, water buses, and suburban trains. The Navette Tan Air has its own more expensive tickets that also allow use of the rest of the network, and does not accept the basic network ticket.Tickets are sold by bus drivers on local services, and on the Navette Tan Air, but not on BusWay buses or on trams. Ticket machines can be found at every tram and BusWay stop, and tickets must be purchased before boarding the vehicle. There are also a few staffed ticket offices in the centre of Nantes, opening for limited periods only.
Traffic
In 2007, 109.5 million journeys were made on the TAN network, where a journey is defined as a single boarding on a single vehicle. Of these 63.5 million were on the three tramway lines, 5.3 million on the single BusWay line, and 40.7 million on the rest of the network. On a typical weekday during the school term in 2007, approximately 472,500 journeys were made on the network, of which approximately 56% were on the tramway.The 109.5 million journeys in 2007 represent 81.2 million actual passenger trips, where a trip is defined as one or more connecting journeys.
In providing this service, the cumulative distance travelled by the Semitan fleet in 2007 was approximately 24.8 million kilometers, of which 4.5 million were run by trams, 15.5 million by Semitan owned buses, and a further 4.7 million by chartered buses.