Cofece fines 18 passenger bus companies for monopolistic practices

The Federal Commission of Economic Competition (Coffee) determined to fine a little more than 1,218 million pesos to 18 companies and 31 individuals for participating in various monopolistic practices absolute, which manipulated prices and segmented routes in the service market passenger road transport.

The companies are part of the ADO, Estrella Blanca, Estrella Roja, IAMSA, Senda and Pullman groups, which have a presence in the center, center-south and south-southeast of the country, as well as the state of Tamaulipas.

“The sanctioned behaviors consisted of six independent and distinguishable agreements between them, made between different competitors, implemented with different validity in the period from 2000 to 2020. Said behaviors manipulated and set prices in the collection of the service; they also divided and distributed routes, either through arrangements between carriers to avoid competing with each other, or through market sharing, in some cases even offsetting income and expenses according to previously agreed percentages,” the commission detailed.

In a statement, he stated that the investigation he carried out is part of the file IO-003-2017.

After the announcement of this sanction, the related economic agents have the right to challenge the resolution by means of an indirect amparo proceeding before the Judicial Branch of the Federation.

Some of the firms sanctioned are:

• Golden Wings buses
• Mercy buses
• Buses from the East ADO
• First Class Mexico Zacatepec Buses
• White Star buses
• Futura Express Buses
• Buses Mexico Puebla Red Star
• Pullman Cars from Morelos, Luxury Service
• Autotransportes Red Star of the South
• Gulf trucker

(With information from Alejandro de la Rosa.)

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