Hérault Transport
Hérault Transport is a French public-law mixed syndicate that organizes interurban and school transport across the Hérault department under the liO brand, coordinating 20+ private operators across 68 lines and 470 schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersMontpellier, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Hérault Transport does
Hérault Transport is a French public-law mixed syndicate (syndicat mixte) established in 2003 under the SRU law and reorganized in 2017 under the NOTRe law, which transferred organization of non-urban and school transport from the Hérault department to the Région Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée and then to the syndicate. Its function is to act as the single organizing authority for interurban public transport and school transport across the Hérault department, operating under the liO brand.
The organization does not own vehicles or employ drivers; instead, it charters services from more than 20 private transport companies operating a fleet of approximately 640 vehicles across 68 regular lines and 1,800 stops, serving 470 schools and transporting roughly 34,000 students daily on the liO network (plus 12,000 on partner urban networks). Its core product set comprises the liO interurban network, a dedicated school transport service with an online registration platform, an itinerary planning tool, and the liO mobile application for digital ticketing (M'Tickets) and journey information. Technology stack is conventional public-sector: a Drupal-based web platform, the liO app, and Matomo analytics for CNIL-compliant audience measurement. An RGAA 4.1 accessibility certification (85.45% conformity, 2022) confirms partial compliance with accessibility standards.
Revenue mechanics combine three streams: commercial ticket and subscription sales on the liO network, annual and term-based school transport subscriptions (with solidarity pricing), and managed public-service funding from the Région Occitanie and member agglomerations (AOMs including Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, Béziers Méditerranée, Sète Agglopôle Méditerranée, Hérault Méditerranée, Pays de l'Or, and Lunel Agglo since 2025). Pricing is publicly disclosed in downloadable PDF documents. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer via on-board sales, mobile app, online platform, and partner network integration with TaM, beeMob, SAM, Cap'Bus, Transp'Or, and SNCF for intermodal connections at Montpellier Sud de France and Béziers PEM hubs. Thierry MATHIEU serves as Président and directeur de la publication.
Hérault Transport firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hérault Transport
- Legal name
- Syndicat Mixte des transports en commun de l'Hérault
- Website
- https://herault-transport.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Hérault Transport is a French public-law mixed syndicate that organizes interurban and school transport across the Hérault department under the liO brand, coordinating 20+ private operators across 68 lines and 470 schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Hérault Transport is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montpellier
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Hérault Transport business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Commercial Ticket Sales: Sale of individual tickets and passes for interurban transport on the liO network, including subscriptions and multi-journey tickets
- School Transport Subscriptions: Annual or term-based subscriptions for school transport services, with transport scholarships available for eligible students
- Public Service Funding: Government funding from the Region Occitanie/Pyrénées-Méditerranée and member agglomerations as the organizing authority for non-urban and school transport under the NOTRe law
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Commercial subscriptions and tickets for regular lines |
| Subscription | Annual | School transport subscriptions |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Hérault Transport product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hérault Transport is a public transport authority (syndicat mixte) that organizes interurban bus services and school transportation across the Hérault department in France. Operating under the liO brand, it manages 68 regular lines through more than 20 contracted private carriers running 640 vehicles, and provides daily transport for 34,000 students across 470 schools. It serves as the single passenger interlocutor for ticketing, route information, and school transport enrollment regardless of the operating carrier.
Product overview
Hérault Transport operates as the public transport authority (syndicat mixte) for the Hérault department in France, organizing interurban and school transportation services under the liO brand. The organization manages a network of 68 regular bus lines, school transport services for 34,000 daily students across 470 schools, and specialized transport for students with disabilities. The product portfolio includes the core liO network, a dedicated school transport service with online registration, the liO mobile application for digital ticketing, and an online itinerary planning tool. Passengers interact with a unified service despite vehicles being operated by over 20 private transport companies contracted by the authority.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- liO: Regional brand for public transport services operated by Hérault Transport, including the mobile application for tickets and transport information.
Products and services
- liO Hérault Transport Interurban Network
- School Transport Service
- liO Mobile Application
- Itinerary Planner
- Specialized Transport Service
Quantifiable outcome
- 68 regular lines serving the Hérault department
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Hérault Transport
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Hérault Transport technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Hérault Transport partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Lunel AgglocoreJoined the Syndicat Mixte as a member as of January 1, 2025, contributing to the governance and coordination of transport services in the Hérault department
- Région Occitanie / Pyrénées-MéditerranéecorePrimary regional authority that transferred school and non-urban transport organization to the Syndicat Mixte under the NOTRe law (2017)
- Montpellier Méditerranée MétropolecoreMember AOM (Autorité Organisatrice de Mobilité) of the Syndicat Mixte, contributing to governance and delegating school transport competence
- Béziers MéditerranéecoreMember AOM of the Syndicat Mixte
- Sète Agglopôle MéditerranéecoreMember AOM of the Syndicat Mixte
- Hérault MéditerranéecoreMember AOM of the Syndicat Mixte
- Pays de l'Or AgglomérationcoreMember AOM of the Syndicat Mixte
- Private Transport Companies (20+)coreHérault Transport charters buses from over 20 private transport companies. Passengers have a single interlocutor (Hérault Transport) regardless of the operating carrier
- TaM (Transports de Montpellier)coreUrban transport network partner for intermodal connections in Montpellier, with coordinated ticketing for students and general passengers
- SNCFcoreRailway partner for multimodal journeys, including coordination at Montpellier Sud de France station (from July 4, 2026) and Béziers PEM
- ADATEEPminorAssociation Départementale pour les Transports Educatifs de l'Enseignement Public - partnership for 'Transport attitude' safety education program for middle school students (6ème)
- Tourism and Cultural PartnersminorVarious tourist sites, cultural venues, and bike rental companies offering discounts to liO ticket holders presenting their dated travel ticket on the same day
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Hérault Transport competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Régie des Transports de Marseille (RTM): Public transport operator (régie) for the Marseille metropolitan area, providing bus, metro, and tram services. Comparable as a publicly governed French urban transport operator with similar regulatory and political dependencies.
- Lignes d'Azur (Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur): Public transport network for the Nice Côte d'Azur metropolitan area, including interurban and school services in a French Mediterranean department. Comparable service mix and customer segments, but operates in a different geographic region.
Others
- RATP Dev: International subsidiary of RATP Group operating urban and interurban transit networks under contract with public authorities. Comparable as a private operator competing for French public service delegation contracts, with potential to operate networks like Hérault Transport's liO services.
Direct peers
- Tisséo Collectivités: Public transport organizing authority (syndicat mixte) for the Toulouse metropolitan area, coordinating multimodal transit (bus, metro, tram) under a similar AOM governance model. Highly comparable structural peer to Hérault Transport's role within the Hérault department.
- Cars du Rhône: Departmental interurban bus and school transport service in the Rhône department, operated as a departmental competence. Closely comparable in scale and structure to liO Hérault Transport's interurban and school transport mandate.
- TaM Transports de Montpellier: Urban public transport operator for Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole, a core AOM member of the Hérault syndicat mixte. Directly comparable as the urban counterpart in the same metropolitan area, with intermodal ticketing and coordinated school transport services.
Broad incumbents
- SNCF (TER Occitanie): National rail operator with regional rail services (TER) across Occitanie, including connections at Montpellier Sud de France and Béziers PEM. Strategic intermodal partner of Hérault Transport and a key adjacency in the regional mobility ecosystem.
- Kéolis: Leading private public transport operator in France, owned by SNCF Group, operating multimodal networks under contract with regional and local authorities. Comparable as a private-sector counterpart that could potentially compete for or absorb contracted operations.
- Transdev: Major private mobility operator in France, operating contracted bus, tram, and ferry services on behalf of AOMs including departmental and regional networks. Comparable as one of the private carriers Hérault Transport contracts with, and as a potential alternative operating model.
- liO (Région Occitanie): Regional public transport brand of the Région Occitanie, of which liO Hérault Transport is a sub-network. Operates across the wider region including neighboring departments (Aude, Gard, etc.) and provides the regional ticketing and digital platform underpinning Hérault Transport's operations.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Hérault Transport social profiles
Digital presenceHérault Transport financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hérault Transport leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Hérault Transport funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hérault Transport M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hérault Transport
What does Hérault Transport do?
Hérault Transport is a public transport authority (syndicat mixte) that organizes interurban bus services and school transportation across the Hérault department in France. Operating under the liO brand, it manages 68 regular lines through more than 20 contracted private carriers running 640 vehicles, and provides daily transport for 34,000 students across 470 schools. It serves as the single passenger interlocutor for ticketing, route information, and school transport enrollment regardless of the operating carrier.
Is Hérault Transport a public or private company?
Hérault Transport is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was Hérault Transport founded?
Hérault Transport was founded in 2003. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Hérault Transport based?
Hérault Transport is headquartered in Montpellier, France, in the Europe region.
How does Hérault Transport make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Commercial Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are school Transport Subscriptions and public Service Funding.
Who are Hérault Transport's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Régie des Transports de Marseille (RTM) and Lignes d'Azur (Métropole Nice Côte d'Azur). RATP Dev is listed as an others. Direct peers are Tisséo Collectivités, Cars du Rhône and TaM Transports de Montpellier. Broad incumbents are SNCF (TER Occitanie), Kéolis, Transdev and liO (Région Occitanie).
Does Hérault Transport have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hérault Transport.