SAVDA

SAVDA — the Société d'autoservices de la Vallée d'Aoste — was the principal public transport company of the autonomous Aosta Valley region in north-western Italy. Founded in 1947, it managed most of the region's collective transport for nearly seven decades, building a network that connected Alpine villages, ski resorts and the regional capital of Aosta with each other and with the wider world. The company's core business was scheduled road passenger transport. Its regional lines fanned out across the valley, linking Aosta with Courmayeur, La Thuile, Valgrisenche, Valsavarenche, Saint-Vincent, Châtillon and the Great and Little St Bernard passes, among many other destinations. Beyond the valley, SAVDA ran national services to Turin, Milan and Turin Airport, and international routes to Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Chambéry in France, Martigny and Geneva in Switzerland, and Chamonix and Annecy in Haute-Savoie. It also operated the classic Tour du Mont Blanc circuit. Over time SAVDA broadened its activities beyond the regional territory, absorbing or participating in numerous other autoservice companies and travel agencies. Its bus station in Aosta was located at the "Georges Carrel" car park, near the Aosta railway station, making it a hub for both local commuters and international travellers. In 1960 the company obtained a regional concession allowing it to manage roughly half of road transport at regional level, a milestone that consolidated its dominant position. In 2016 SAVDA merged with the Arriva Italia group, ending its existence as an independent operator and folding its services into a larger multinational transport group. The SAVDA name and brand thus belong to the history of Aosta Valley mobility rather than to a currently independent company.

SAVDA, the Société d'autoservices de la Vallée d'Aoste, was born in 1947 in the aftermath of the Second World War, when the autonomous Aosta Valley region was rebuilding its civil infrastructure and needed reliable collective transport across its mountainous territory. From its base in Aosta, the company gradually assembled a network of bus lines serving the valley's communes and valleys. A decisive turning point came in 1960, when SAVDA obtained a regional concession that allowed it to manage approximately 50% of road transport at the regional level. This concession gave the company a dominant position in Aosta Valley mobility and provided the platform for decades of expansion. Over the following decades SAVDA's activity widened beyond the regional territory. It came to comprise, partially or totally, numerous other autoservice companies as well as travel agencies, extending its reach into adjacent markets and into the travel trade. Its bus station in Aosta was established at the "Georges Carrel" car park, close to the Aosta railway station, reinforcing its role as the region's transport hub. The company's route map reflected the geography and economy of the Aosta Valley. Regional lines connected Aosta with Courmayeur, Val Ferret, Val Vény, La Thuile, La Salle, Valgrisenche, Rhêmes-Notre-Dame, Valsavarenche, Saint-Nicolas, Saint-Rhémy-en-Bosses, the Col du Grand-Saint-Bernard, Saint-Vincent, Châtillon, Torgnon, La Magdeleine, Émarèse, Arnad and Pont-Saint-Martin, among many others. National lines linked the valley to Turin, Milan and Turin Airport, while international services reached Bourg-Saint-Maurice and Chambéry in France, Martigny and Geneva in Switzerland, and Chamonix and Annecy in Haute-Savoie. SAVDA also operated the Tour du Mont Blanc circuit, a signature offering for walkers and tourists. In 2016, after nearly seventy years of operation, SAVDA merged with the Arriva Italia group. The merger ended SAVDA's existence as an independent regional operator and transferred its services into the portfolio of a large international transport group. The SAVDA brand remains associated with the history of public transport in the Aosta Valley.

• 2016

  SAVDA merges with the Arriva Italia group.

• 1960

  SAVDA obtains a regional concession allowing it to manage about 50% of road transport at regional level.

• 1947

  SAVDA is founded as the Société d'autoservices de la Vallée d'Aoste.

Historic regional public transport operator and concession holder for the Aosta Valley, later integrated into the Arriva Italia group.

• Regional bus lines

  Extensive network connecting Aosta with Courmayeur, La Thuile, Valgrisenche, Valsavarenche, Saint-Vincent, Châtillon, the Saint Bernard passes and many other Aosta Valley destinations.

• National bus lines

  Services linking the Aosta Valley to Turin, Milan and Turin Airport.

• International bus lines

  Routes to France (Bourg-Saint-Maurice, Chambéry, Chamonix, Annecy) and Switzerland (Martigny, Geneva).

• Tour du Mont Blanc

  A signature tourist circuit around the Mont Blanc massif.

• Travel agency services

  SAVDA's activities included travel agencies as part of its diversification.

1. 1SAVDA — Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Société d'autoservices de la Vallée d'Aoste — Wikipédiafr.wikipedia.org