MÁV to take back local services in Székesfehérvár operated by Inter Tan-Ker

Changes are coming to local bus services in Székesfehérvár: MÁV Személyszállítási Zrt. will not extend the contract covering services currently provided through a subcontractor, instead taking over these duties using its own vehicles. The transition will take place in two phases, with the first changes coming into effect as early as October this year, and the process concluding in January 2027. A total of 17 buses will join the local Székesfehérvár fleet to provide the necessary capacity.

The change affects the subcontracted service currently provided by Inter Tan-Ker Zrt. The Debrecen-based company entered local transport in Székesfehérvár as a subcontractor in September 2021, when it took over from ArrivaBus, which had previously carried out these duties. Inter Tan-Ker initially joined the city’s transport network with ten buses, seven solo vehicles and three articulated buses.

Following the initial agreement, the cooperation continued in 2024 under a new contract. In January 2024, Volánbusz concluded a new framework agreement with Inter Tan-Ker for the provision of local services in the Central-West Hungary traffic region. The agreement, with a framework value of more than HUF 3.3 billion, was concluded for 36 months or until the contractual framework amount was exhausted, whichever came first.

The subcontractor’s role in local transport in Székesfehérvár expanded in the meantime. By spring 2024, ITK was participating in the service with 17 buses: alongside eight ITE Reform 500 LE vehicles, three Mercedes-Benz Conecto Gs and two MAN Lion’s City GLs, two Iveco Streetways and two Iveco Urbanways also entered service.

The current change will effectively replace this subcontracted capacity. According to information from the MÁV Group, the contract expiring at the end of the year will not be extended, and the duties will be taken over by MÁV Személyszállítás using its own fleet. However, the transition will not take place all at once: the first phase will begin in October, while the remaining subcontracted services will be taken over in January 2027.

A total of 17 buses will be allocated to local transport in Székesfehérvár for this purpose. The fleet will comprise nine Credobus Econell 12 buses, seven MAN Lion’s City vehicles and one Ikarus with a fully electric drivetrain. The vehicles are expected to appear on local Székesfehérvár routes partly or entirely in the yellow livery characteristic of MÁV Személyszállítás’s national bus fleet. The new capacity of 17 vehicles therefore numerically matches the fleet size with which ITK has participated in local transport in Székesfehérvár in recent years.

The operator expects the unified operation within a single company, and the more direct operational control this entails, to improve service quality and operational reliability. Among other things, the aim of the change is to reduce the number of cancelled journeys and increase the reliability of local bus services.