NACE 49.3 – Other Passenger Land Transport | Public Tenders

Definition: NACE 49.3 covers the economic activity of passenger transport by road, where it is not allocated to scheduled long-distance transport (49.39) — including scheduled bus services, school transport, taxi services, hire-car services and special line services. This group provides the statistical framework for one of the most procurement-active areas in municipal procurement.

Legal basis: NACE Rev. 2 (Regulation (EC) No 1893/2006) · Last updated: January 2026

What does NACE 49.3 cover?

NACE 49.3 (Other passenger land transport) classifies undertakings that transport passengers by road — from urban scheduled buses to school transport in rural areas.

Group 49.3 within Section H (Transportation and storage) and Division 49 (Land transport) is broken down into four classes:

Public contracting authorities are primarily municipalities, districts, transport associations, school authorities and transport authorities for local public transport at regional and district level. In Austria, this also includes municipal associations and provincial governments as central contracting bodies.

Public Tenders: Activities under NACE 49.3

Road-based local passenger transport — in particular scheduled bus services and school transport — is among the most frequent contract subjects for municipal and regional contracting authorities in Germany and Austria.

Typical types of contract

• Scheduled bus services in local public transport: Award of line bundles for urban and regional bus services by transport associations and transport authorities; frequently with quality requirements (vehicle age, emission standard, accessibility)
• School transport: Municipal tenders for regular bus transport to schools, special schools, day-care facilities; often as framework agreements with call-offs
• Disability transport and shuttle services: Transport of persons with disabilities to workshops, day-care facilities and medical institutions
• Night bus and on-demand services: Flexible supplementary local public transport services outside regular schedules, increasingly tendered as on-demand services
• Taxi services and medical transport: Municipal tenders for municipal shuttle services, medical transport (distinct from emergency medical services under NACE 86.9)
• Light rail and tram operation: Operation of guided urban rail systems (metro, tram) by municipal transport operators or concessionaires

Thresholds and procedure types

For bus line transport services in local public transport, Regulation (EC) No 1370/2007 (PSO Regulation) primarily applies. The EU threshold for service contracts is EUR 221,000 (as of 2024/2025). Line bundle tenders regularly exceed this and are published EU-wide on TED. School transport contracts below the threshold are tendered on national platforms. Procedure types: competitive tendering procedure under Article 5 of Regulation 1370/2007, open procedure (VgV/UVgO) or restricted tendering procedure for smaller lots.

Relevant CPV codes for NACE 49.3

CPV codes (Common Procurement Vocabulary), which must be specified in every contract notice on TED, link the NACE classification with tender searches.

Current tenders with these CPV codes can be found on TED (Tenders Electronic Daily) as well as on national procurement platforms.

For whom is NACE 49.3 relevant in public procurement?

Public contracting authorities

In Germany, districts, urban districts and municipal transport associations are the central contracting authorities for bus line tenders. School authorities (municipalities and districts) frequently tender school transport services as separate lots. Higher-level transport authorities such as regional local transport companies (e.g. NVS Thuringia, NWL Westphalia-Lippe) coordinate regional tenders. In Austria, municipal associations, provincial governments (via VOR, VVT, SVV) and the federal government (Postbus successor structures) tender line transport services. The division of powers between the federal and regional levels in local public transport makes Austria a particularly multi-layered procurement market.

Companies and bidders

Bus and taxi operators participating in public tenders under NACE 49.3 need:

• Concession and authorisation: Passenger transport licence under PBefG (Germany) or Gelegenheitsverkehrsgesetz/Kraftfahrliniengesetz (Austria)
• Vehicle availability: Evidence of sufficient, suitable and approved vehicles (owned or leased); compliance with emission standards (Euro VI or electric)
• Accessibility: Evidence of low-floor or wheelchair-accessible vehicles in line with the contracting authority's requirements
• Technical capacity: References on comparable services (line length, vehicle numbers, passenger volumes)
• Economic capacity: Balance sheets, turnover evidence, insurance (motor vehicle liability, operational liability)
• Drivers: Sufficient qualified and trained drivers; evidence of driver training, where applicable a passenger transport (P) licence and passenger awareness training

Bidding consortia of small and medium-sized bus operators are common practice, as larger line bundles may exceed the capacity of individual undertakings.

NACE 49.3 in context: Section H and Division 49

NACE 49.3 forms part of Division 49 (Land transport) within transport Section H — one of the most heavily used areas of public procurement.

• NACE H – Transportation and storage: Parent section covering all transport activities
• NACE 49 – Land transport: Division covering rail and road transport
• NACE 49.1 – Passenger rail transport: SPNV, S-Bahn, ÖBB, DB
• NACE 49.2 – Freight rail transport: Rail freight
• NACE 49.4 – Freight transport by road: HGV, courier and parcel services

Frequently asked questions about NACE 49.3 and public tenders

Which companies fall under NACE 49.3?
All undertakings predominantly transporting persons by road — bus operators, taxi businesses, hire car operators and school bus providers. The distinction from long-distance services (long-distance coach) is made via NACE 49.39.

What distinguishes school transport from local public transport tenders in procurement terms?
School transport is a social service and in Germany is subject to the simplified procedure under § 130 GWB (right of definition, broader scope for the negotiated procedure). In local public transport, the PSO Regulation (EC) 1370/2007 applies. The boundaries become blurred when school buses are integrated into scheduled line services.

May municipal transport companies (municipal utility subsidiaries) be awarded contracts directly?
Under the conditions of the PSO Regulation (Article 5(2) of Regulation 1370/2007), direct award to an internal operator is possible where the transport authority exercises effective control (in-house award). The conditions and notification obligations are strict and have been further refined by ECJ case law.

What emission requirements do contracting authorities set in bus tenders?
Contracting authorities increasingly require low-emission or zero-emission vehicles (electric buses, hydrogen buses) in line with the requirements of Directive 2019/1161/EU (Clean Vehicle Directive). Minimum quotas for clean vehicles have been mandatory in public bus fleet procurement since August 2021.

How do I find current bus line tenders?
EU-wide on TED via CPV search (60112000, 60130000). In Germany on DTVP, Vergabe24, the federal gazette (Bundesanzeiger) and the platforms of the transport authorities. In Austria on auftrag.at and the regional platforms of the procurement review authorities.

Last updated: January 2026
All information is provided without guarantee. For legally binding advice, please consult a law firm specialising in public procurement law.