In the public transport sector, Grupo Dos Hundred Ocho Transporte Automotor SA (DOTA) is one of the largest corporate holdings, controlling around 180 bus routes in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA), directly or through several subsidiaries or affiliated companies.
Its business model ranges from operating the lines to producing bodies (Todo Bus) and providing chassis (Agrale), with its lines often being most strongly identified with the company’s color and style.
The most famous lines include 6, 7, 8, 9, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25, 28, 31, 44, 50, 51, 56, 57, 60, 74, 76, 78, 79, 84, 91, 99, 100, 101, 106, 108, 115, 117, 130, 135, 146, 150, 161, 164, 168, 177 and 188.
In addition, the company operates several provincial lines such as 256, 299, 403, 405, 421 and 503, among others, through various subsidiaries such as Transportes Río Grande, TABA, Los Constituciónntes and Micro Ómnibus Norte (MONSA), and controls a significant percentage of services in the region.
But it is clear that DOTA’s flagship line is 60 of the former MONSA and that it is undoubtedly one of the most important and extensive of the AMBA, whose history dates back to 1931 and which is popularly called “The International” because of its gigantic route that connects the southern part of the city of Buenos Aires with the northern suburbs, reaching Belén de Escobar and Rincón de Milberg in Tigre.
Its importance lies in the fact that it connects several key points:
- In CABA: Pass through important neighborhoods such as Barracas, Constitución, Monserrat, Plaza Italia, Palermo and Belgrano.
- In GBA North: Travel through the municipalities of Vicente López, San Isidro, San Fernando and Tigre and also reach Escobar.
- Branches: It has a complex network of branches (including fast and express services) that use different routes such as the Panamericana or the Bajo de San Isidro to meet the enormous passenger demand. The line operates 24 hours a day.
That is, Line 60 is a pillar of urban transport in Buenos Aires, known for its scale and the complexity of its branches, but is in a period of high media exposure due to constant union disputes and recent security events.
Mega Fusion
Now the conglomerate, owned by the brothers José and Ángel Faijá and twelve other partners such as Luis Rodríguez and José Santoli, intends to expand this power by purchasing another of the most important groups in the sector such as MOQSA.
This company operates several lines that run mainly through the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires, including Quilmes, Berazategui, Florencio Varela and Avellaneda. The main ones are 159, 219, 300, 372, 584, 603 and 619, each with different branches that go to Capital Federal (Correo Central) or within the suburbs such as Cruce Varela, Hudson, Bosques and Maritime.
The initials of this group refer to Micro Ómnibus Quilmes Sociedad Anónima, controlled by a structure made up of family shareholders and workers.
These days, the DOTA board is busy preparing an offer to retain MOQSA, with the promise of paying $85 million to complete the purchase, which includes the competitor’s operational infrastructure, routes and entire active fleet.
DOTA clarified that the process is still in its preliminary stages, in full analysis and negotiation, and that the operation is subject to internal audits, legal reviews and, in particular, the supervision and approval of the relevant regulatory authorities, including the CNRT and the Buenos Aires Provincial Department of Transportation.
In a statement, the company added that “any further official communication will be made through DOTA’s institutional channels.”
Market concentration
Popularly known as “El Blanquito” due to the color of its units on some of its lines, MOQSA is considered a major player in the southern suburbs of Buenos Aires.
Therefore, the purchase by DOTA would not be an isolated incident, but part of a growth and business concentration trend that this group has continuously promoted over the past decades.
For example, DOTA recently added several historical lines such as 32, 75, 128 and 158 to its portfolio, strengthening its presence in the Lanús and Pompeya region.
But in addition to operating bus lines, the group also owns Megacar (representative of the Agrale chassis brand in Argentina) and controls coachbuilder Todo Bus, which gives it vertical control over the production and renewal of its fleet.
The possible landing in another important group raises numerous questions and possible consequences in various areas, such as users, since it is expected that DOTA will renew and unify the MOQSA fleet with units from its own production chain (Agrale/Todo Bus).
This could mean newer buses with standardized technology becoming available to users and routes deemed unprofitable needing to be rationalized or eliminated.
Consequences of the purchase
As for service quality, this is a point of discussion as some transportation experts understand this The dominance of a single operator can reduce the incentives to compete for passenger satisfaction.
As far as job sources are concerned, DOTA has so far retained the jobs of the lines it had added to its pool, although MOQSA union delegates remain wary of possible changes in working conditions, internal restructuring or personnel transfers.
Regarding the new control card in this business that the operation would generate, this is clear would consolidate a virtual monopoly in large parts of the AMBA Therefore, in order for the purchase to be carried out, it must be approved by the national regulatory and control authorities.
In this sense, for experts, the main debate is whether the state will allow a concentration of this magnitude, given the possible impact on competition, prices (subsidized tariffs) and essential public services.
In this sense, the integration of the MOQSA lines into the DOTA orbit, after completing the audits and obtaining regulatory approvals (a process that is usually complex and secret), will redefine the mobility of millions of people in the southern corridor of Buenos Aires and test the state’s ability to regulate an increasingly concentrated market.
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