Paris, 24 July 2025 – Racine advised RATP Dev on the takeover of the assets and activities of Vectalia Béziers Méditerranée (VBM), the former operator of the BeeMob public transport network, under a transfer plan before the Specialised Commercial Court of Montpellier. The transaction will ensure that all employees are retained and that the network, which serves the 17 municipalities of the Béziers Méditerranée urban area, continues to operate.

RATP Dev is a company belonging to the RATP Group that designs, operates and modernises urban transport networks in over 100 cities worldwide. With over 25,000 employees and recognised expertise in operating complex networks, RATP Dev supports local authorities in their sustainable mobility projects.

On 16 July 2025, the Commercial Court ruled that RATP Dev should be appointed as the new operator and maintainer of the network, a role they will fulfil from 1 August 2025 until 2028. This takeover includes a fleet of 70 vehicles and 180 employees, who now form part of a new structure led by RATP Dev.

This operation comes at a pivotal moment for the Béziers region, which is implementing an ambitious investment programme to modernise its public transport network. This includes introducing a new ticketing system, integrating hydrogen-powered buses, and developing a real-time passenger information system. It also demonstrates RATP Dev’s commitment to ecological transition and providing high-quality public transport services.

Racine worked alongside a team comprising Lisa Ducani (Partner) and Edern Lagadec (Partner) on restructuring aspects; Sarah Usunier (Partner) and Camille Moïse (Partner) on employment law aspects; Sylvain Bergès (Partner) and Barbara Azière (Partner) on public law aspects; and Bastien Thomas (Partner) and François Aubin (Partner) on competition and regulatory aspects.

Fhbx (Eric Samson and Jean-François Blanc) acted as the insolvency administrator. Eight Advisory (partner Axel Robert and manager Mathieu Rebbi) acted as the financial advisers to RATP Dev.