• Is the provision of public transport bus services in Silesia in breach of competition law?
• The President of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, Tomasz Chróstny, opened an investigation into the case, and the Office’s employees, after obtaining permission from the court, conducted searches at the premises of several entrepreneurs in the transport sector.

Employees of the Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, assisted by the police, carried out searches at the premises of eight entrepreneurs involved in public transport bus services. This is in connection with the preliminary investigation initiated by the President of UOKiK. According to the Office’s information, these entrepreneurs together with others may have entered into a collusive tender.  The potential agreement concerned tender proceedings for the provision of public transport bus services in the Silesian agglomeration organised by the Metropolitan Transport Authority in Katowice. Specifically, the tender issued on 27 July 2021 for the operation of bus services throughout the agglomeration from 2022 to 2029. The total value of the contract exceeded PLN 1.3 billion.

- We suspect collusive bidding, which is why I launched an investigation and ordered searches, which were carried out with the court's approval by the Office’s staff with the support of police officers. We are currently reviewing the collected evidence – says Tomasz Chróstny, President of UOKiK.

The preliminary investigation is conducted in the case and not against any specific enterprises. If the evidence gathered confirms the suspicions, the President of the Office will initiate antitrust proceedings and bring charges against individual entities. An enterprise involved in a competition-restricting agreement faces a fine of up to 10% of its turnover.

UOKiK runs a programme of acquiring information from anonymous whistle-blowers. Visit https://konkurencja.uokik.gov.pl/sygnalista/ and fill out a simple form. The system we use guarantees full anonymity, also towards the Office itself.

Additional information for the media:

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