Singapore mobility firm ComfortDelGro has purchased European ground transport and accommodation specialist CMAC Group for £80.2 million.
ComfortDelGro said the acquisition of CMAC through its CityFleet Networks subsidiary was part of its strategy to “expand its point-to-point mobility services”. The deal increases the group’s presence to 12 countries worldwide.
CityFleet already owns and operates taxis and private hire vehicles in the UK through its networks in Aberdeen, Liverpool and north-west England. ComfortDelGro also owns Metroline buses and Westbus coaches in London, as well as Megabus and Scottish Citylink.
CMAC specialises in managing transport and accommodation for airlines, train operators, corporations and breakdown companies. It currently has a presence in the UK, France, Spain, Portugal, Greece and the Netherlands.
The UK-based firm has been on its own acquisition spree recently with the purchase of Netherlands-based Airline Services and Accommodation Partner last year, as well as Barcelona-based Suntransfers and Portugal’s Here & Dare in 2022.
Edward Thomas, CEO of Europe at ComfortDelGro, said: “As an established player in providing wide-ranging emergency passenger transport services to businesses, CMAC is complementary to our operations in the UK and Europe, allowing us to expand our business-to-business offerings in the region.
“In addition, as part of the wider ComfortDelGro Group, CMAC will be able to tap into our deep market knowledge to grow its business and reach.”
As part of the deal, CMAC will remain “operationally independent”, and will continue to be led by its current management team including CEO Peter Slater.
“We are excited to be part of a bigger family in Europe and globally,” said Slater. “With our strong history, innovation expertise and team, CMAC would be growing aside with ComfortDelGro Group and will continue to deliver value to our customers and partners.”
ComfortDelGro’s chairman Mark Greaves added: “The acquisition of CMAC means we not only achieve a meaningful expansion of our footprint in the UK and entry into several new countries in Europe but also acquire an extensive network of transport operators, strengthening our point-to-point transport solutions as well as growing our customer base.”