A Parade of Investors Lines Up to Buy Two Bus Companies
Published Date: 10/22/2026
Notice
Summary
Reliant Transportation Group and its partners want to take control of Safe-Way Bus Co. and Safe-Way Wisconsin by buying all their shares from the current owners. The Surface Transportation Board is giving a thumbs-up to this deal unless someone objects by December 7, 2026. If no one speaks up, the takeover will officially happen on December 8, 2026, with no immediate money changes announced.
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
No planned service cuts or route changes
Applicants say Safe-Way Bus and Safe-Way Wisconsin will continue providing the same school-transportation and charter services after the acquisition and that they have no current plans to discontinue service, materially modify routes, close terminals, or reduce headcount. The companies operate from terminals in Inver Grove Heights (Safe-Way Bus), Hudson (Safe-Way Bus), Somerset (Safe-Way Wisconsin), and Balsam Lake (Safe-Way Wisconsin) and serve multiple school districts under contract.
Employees not expected to face layoffs or cuts
Applicants state they have no current plans for employee layoffs or staffing reductions and do not anticipate adverse changes to wages, benefits, or working conditions as a result of the transaction. The application lists employee counts (Safe-Way Bus Inver Grove Heights terminal ~50 employees including 45 drivers; Hudson terminal ~64 employees including 58 drivers; Safe-Way Wisconsin Somerset terminal 22 employees including 19 drivers; Balsam Lake terminal 21 employees including 18 drivers).
Transaction not expected to reduce competition
Applicants represent that the acquisition will not materially reduce competition or impair the adequacy of transportation to the public because the Additional Carriers will operate as separate legal entities with separate operating authorities, terminals, fleets, and management, and because each faces competition from multiple local, regional, and national providers. Applicants also note school-transportation services are contract-specific and served through competitive procurement.
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