History

1871 : The first “Romanian Society of Trams” is born; the first trams pulled by horses appear on the streets.

1894 : The first electric line for trams is launched on the route Obor-Cotroceni.



1909 : The law for creating the “Communal Society for Building and Operating Trams in Bucharest” is adopted (the new society will be called S.T.B.).

1921 : A new period of development begins and STB became the most important society for public transport in the country.



1923 : "THOMPSON - HOUSTON" wagons were purchased and two electric devices of 1000 kW/unity were bought from "SIEMENS - SCHUCKERT"



1924 : The first laboratory of experimental psychology in Romania is created .


1929 : Trams pulled by horses are abandoned.


1936 : The society obtains exclusivity for public transport with trams and buses in Bucharest. The city had then a surface of 31.000 ha and included 12 suburbs for which public transport was available. The bus park has then 392 buses (Renault, Chevrolet and Henschel) and used to have 22 two way routes on 131 km.


1937 : STB clinic for employees and their families is created. In this period, STB owned holiday facilities in Techirghiol and Timisul de Sus only for employees and their families.

1949 : The first trolleybus line is created (Piata Victoriei - Hipodromul Baneasa). 


1950 : The “Communal Society for Building and Operating Trams in Bucharest” became “The Bucharest Transport Company”(ITB) which was operating 27 tram routes and 24 bus routes. It had 11.000 employees and was the second biggest company in the country from that point of view, after UD Resita.


1951 : The great capacity wagon on 4 axles, built in ITB workshops, is launched.


1955 : ITB workshops build the prototype for the Romanian trolleybus.


1962 : The mechanized calculation and tracking station is created

1963 : The central Dispatch for traffic is created.


1965 : The ITB energetic system is developed and the construction of the first substations with silicon rectifiers are built.


1971 : The double articulated wagon –built in ITB workshops- is launched. Between 1972-1980. ITB was the fourth urban transport company in the world, regarding the dimension of the auto park, the operating area and the number of employees. The park had over 2500 buses, 800 trams, 700 trolleybuses and the company had 35.000 employees.


1974 : The ITB Computing Center is created.The new model for tram lines is realized.


1980 : The double articulated trolleybus is created.

1983 : The first tram line over Grant Bridge is realized and the wagon with 2 command posts and both side doors is introduced.

1984 : A line with 30 buses with automatic system of surveillance and traffic routing is operational.

1985 : The first trams for other cities are built (Constanta, Ploiesti, Craiova, Brasov). Between 1981-1989 the surface public transport in Bucharest decreased justified then by the development of the underground public transport and by the energetic crisis.

1988 : The electronic dispatch in real time is created. The urban tram formed by a motor wagon and two trailers EP/V3A is realized.. The first trolleybus equipped with chopper appears.

1990 : : ITB becomes RATB (The Autonomous Transportation Enterprise of Bucharest ). A new strategy regarding the functioning and developing the surface public transport in Bucharest is created. The taxi and maxi-taxi activity was taken out of the RATB structure.

1991 : The apparition of The Romania Union Of Public Transportation – URTP, of which RATB is a founding member. The advertising activity starts when 150 new buses are decorated with CAMEL posters.22 SAURER buses are brought from Switzerland that are later transformed into trolleybuses at URAC. 70 SAVIEM buses are brought from France and are used on Express lines. The clinic-hospital became integrated in RATB.

1992 : RATB receives a 2,3 million ECU technical assistance through a PHARE program.

1993 : A study financed by World Bank on public transportation reorganization in Bucharest was effected by Transurb Consult Company from Belgium.

1994 : RATB purchases the first modern DAF buses.

1995 : The first SAURER buses transformed into trolleybuses are operational.

1996 : A contest is organized for the position of RATB General Manager thus the first management contract at the Local Council of Bucharest is signed. RATB becomes partner in the CAPTURE project funded by the European Community regarding the introduction of some measures supposed to encourage modal transfer in favor of public transportation. The electronic system for travel fee charging becomes operational. The construction of the new central office is started.

1997 : : RATB became partner in the DANTE research project funded by the European Union.

1998 : Through the PHARE international program, RATB and Cie Consult realized a pre-feasibility study for public transportation in Bucharest.
RATB organizes the final conferences for the DANTE and CAPTURE European projects.
Implementation of the SAP R/3 integrated computer system started with a pilot project.
The TARA prototype tram is built.

1999 : The 90 years celebration since STB was created.

2000 : The Public Transportation Police ( Section 25) is created.

2001 : RATB is equipped with a pollution reduction system through GPL (liquefied oil gas)

2002 : RATB puts into operation the first light train (metro) in the country, on the 41 tram route. This action is part of an ample rehabilitation program of 110km of tramway lines through a cofounding of the General Council of Bucharest, the City Hall of Bucharest and the European Bank of Investments.



2004 : The auction for a new ticketing system for public transportation takes place. 80 years have passed since the founding of the STB psychological laboratory.

2005 : The first tram wagons with partially lowered floor are realized and start to be used.

2006

The use of the first 400 Mercedes buses, purchased between 2006-2007, starts.

Implementation of the new ticketing system in public transportation began. The system is based on the technology of contactless cards, that will gradually replace paper subscriptions and tickets.

2007 : The first tram wagon with low floor is realized.

2008 : The first 400 EURO 4 MERCEDES CITARO buses start to be used. They are provided with air conditioning for passengers, LCD for providing information for the passengers and surveillance system.

2009 : 100 years of STB existence.

2010 : RATB and Siemens form a partnership and RATB will produce at its plant complete bodywork modules for Siemens trams. -RATB and the police department concluded a cooperation protocol in order to assure a proper transportation for the citizens of Bucharest Nine touristic routes are created to reach the monasteries around Bucharest within a partnership with the Ministry of Regional Development and Tourism.

2011 : A partnership between RATB, Astra Vagoane ARAD and Siemens is signed for manufacturing Imperio trams with low floor .

-A cooperation protocol is signed between RATB and the Gendarmerie in order to prevent and fight the antisocial acts in the RATB vehicles. - The classic paper tickets were eliminated and RATB chooses to use only modern instruments of taxing. 23 night bus lines start to operate.
„Bucharest City Tour”, the first touristic program of the city, is created.

2012 : Night transportation to Henri Coanda international airport is created. RATB facilitates one day subscription payment through SMS.

The unique RATB-Metrorex ticket is introduced.
RATB finalizes the building of a new lot of Bucur LF trams at its plant.