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Annual Report 2010/2011 - pdf 7.05 MB - Nobina AB

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ANNUAL REPORT<br />

<strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 1


FrAmvAgNsvINjett<br />

CONtENtS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> and the year in brief 4<br />

Statement from the CEO 8<br />

Market<br />

Overview 10<br />

regional traffic 15<br />

Interregional traffic 20<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong><br />

the operations 22<br />

Organization and operations control 26<br />

responsibility – the environment and safety 28<br />

Business areas 33<br />

Corporate governance<br />

Corporate governance report 48<br />

the share 52<br />

Board of Directors, senior management 54<br />

Administration <strong>Report</strong> 56<br />

2 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Accounts<br />

Consolidated income statement and consolidated<br />

statement of comprehensive income 61<br />

Consolidated balance sheet 62<br />

Consolidated statement of changes in<br />

shareholders’ equity 63<br />

Consolidated cash-flow statement 64<br />

parent Company income statement and<br />

statement of comprehensive income for<br />

the parent Company 65<br />

parent Company balance sheet 66<br />

parent Company statement of changes<br />

in shareholders’ equity 67<br />

parent Company cash-flow statement 68<br />

Notes 69<br />

Auditors’ report 93<br />

Glossary and key figures 94<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting 95<br />

Contact information 95


FrAmvAgNsvINjett<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s business concept is about simplifying the<br />

customer’s everyday travel. We have been doing<br />

that for exactly one hundred years.<br />

During that time, we have established a leading<br />

position in the market due to a successful business<br />

model with stable revenue and growing margins.<br />

At the same time, the market has developed to<br />

our advantage and with important ongoing changes,<br />

the potential for continued profitable growth is great.<br />

traveling together for a sustainable society is<br />

more in keeping with the times than ever.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 3


IN BrIeF<br />

this is <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

In a rapidly changing market, <strong>Nobina</strong> has maintained a market-leading position after successfully<br />

completed improvement activities. the company’s ambition is to advance its position<br />

with continued profitability throughout the Nordic region, and take shares in the value<br />

chain through improved customer offerings and an optimized bus fleet and traffic planning.<br />

through goal-oriented and delegated leadership, the industry’s most dedicated employees<br />

will be a driving force in this movement.<br />

BUSINESS MODEL<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has an effective business model that<br />

builds on stable revenue generated by longterm<br />

contracts and relations. The market logic<br />

and selected model entail that the business is<br />

conducted with low risk. An extensive contract<br />

portfolio and large tender volumes provide stability<br />

while the growing number of contracts<br />

that feature incentives, due to ongoing deregulation,<br />

allow for growth and better margins.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s market-leading position in the<br />

Nordic region entails significant advantages<br />

in connection with tendering, contract management,<br />

vehicle operation and traffic planning.<br />

The operations are divided into two<br />

business areas, Regional and Interregional<br />

traffic. <strong>Nobina</strong> is one of the largest public<br />

traffic companies in northern Europe with a<br />

bus fleet of about 3,600 buses and 280 million<br />

completed customer trips per year.<br />

OVERALL GOAL<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> shall continue to be a strong driving<br />

force in the market to expand public traffic<br />

by bus in the Nordic region, broaden traffic<br />

companies’ responsibility for the customer<br />

offering and improve opportunities for<br />

strengthening the profitability of contracts<br />

through more balanced conditions<br />

between the parties.<br />

BUSINESS CONCEPt<br />

4 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

StRAtEGY – PROFIt<strong>AB</strong>LE GROWtH<br />

Stable and profitable growth is achieved by securing the right contracts, rather than<br />

high market shares, and by optimizing the bus fleet and daily operation in existing<br />

contracts. <strong>Nobina</strong> shall:<br />

WORK FOR LARGE ACCESSIBLE TENDER VOLUME TO SECURE MORE PROFIT<strong>AB</strong>LE<br />

CONTRACTS<br />

■ <strong>Nobina</strong> shall enhance the quality of its tendering and participate in a large number<br />

of tenders, but only where conditions for profitability are good.<br />

DEVELOP THE CUSTOMER OFFERING AND TAKE A LARGER SHARE OF THE VALUE CHAIN<br />

■ <strong>Nobina</strong> shall strengthen its offering to customers in both Regional and Interregional<br />

traffic, through continuous product development and greater responsibility for<br />

influencing travel and traveling.<br />

PRIORITIZE AND IMPROVE PROFIT<strong>AB</strong>ILITY IN ALL AREAS<br />

■ <strong>Nobina</strong> shall achieve greater efficiency in both existing and new contracts with<br />

the support of Group-wide working processes.<br />

■ Optimize indexation, fuel consumption and traffic planning.<br />

CONSTANTLY DEVELOP LEADERSHIP AND EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION<br />

■ Prioritize the recruitment and training of leadership for all people with leadership roles.<br />

■ Management by objectives and continuous feedback makes all employees<br />

visible and committed.<br />

CONTINUE TO ACTIVELY DRIVE STRUCTURAL CHANGE<br />

■ <strong>Nobina</strong> shall capture market opportunities and increase the proportion of incentives<br />

in traffic contracts. This entails increasing the traffic company’s commitment<br />

through greater responsibility for the range of services, schedules and sales, and<br />

remuneration for both traffic production and the number of passengers.<br />

■ Participate in the market consolidation of active and quality-oriented players.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s business concept is to simplify everyday<br />

travel for its customers and the vision is clear:<br />

»Everyone wants to travel with us»


Financial overview<br />

sales increased 6.2% to SEK 6,697 million (6,308) and operating profit rose to SEK 232<br />

million (192). excluding costs of SEK 62 million (37) pertaining to extraordinary winter<br />

conditions, operating profit totaled SEK 294 million (229).<br />

In <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> secured contracts for 556 buses (451). some 273 buses (339) were acquired<br />

at a value of SEK 731 million (971) and financed through financial leasing. the number of<br />

cash-financed buses amounted to 122 (41).<br />

SALES PER BUSINESS AREA<br />

AND OPERATING PROFIT<br />

SEK M<br />

7,000<br />

6,000<br />

5,000<br />

4,000<br />

3,000<br />

2,000<br />

1,000<br />

SEK M,<br />

Sales Operating profit<br />

unless otherwise stated<br />

Regional traffic<br />

<strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 2009/<strong>2010</strong> <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 2009/<strong>2010</strong><br />

sweden 4,459 4,227 242 205<br />

Denmark 323 192 –53 –30<br />

Norway 783 733 21 21<br />

Finland<br />

Interregional traffic<br />

756 801 7 7<br />

swebus 430 412 40 42<br />

Total 6,697 6,308 232 192<br />

0<br />

06/07<br />

07/08<br />

SEK M, unless otherwise stated 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11<br />

sales 5,075 5,406 6,134 6,308 6,697<br />

Operating profit/loss –24 161 206 192 232<br />

profit loss after financial items –246 –16 –233 121 59<br />

Net profit/loss –245 –15 –239 121 59<br />

Cash flow 117 211 –59 –67 –91<br />

Cash and cash equivalents * 351 529 558 472 335<br />

equity/assets ratio, % 6.7 5.8 –2.7 2.8 3.4<br />

shareholders’ equity 227 210 –117 137 178<br />

Number of buses 3,503 3,376 3,505 3,553 3,618<br />

Average number of employees 6,814 7,021 7,606 7,318 7,714<br />

revenue/bus 1.45 1.60 1.75 1.78 1.85<br />

* Including restricted funds.<br />

08/09<br />

09/10<br />

10/11<br />

Regional traffic Interregional traffic<br />

Operating profit<br />

500<br />

300<br />

100<br />

0<br />

–100<br />

–300<br />

–500<br />

TENDER HISTORY<br />

Number of buses<br />

3,500<br />

3,000<br />

2,500<br />

2,000<br />

1,500<br />

1,000<br />

500<br />

0<br />

06/07<br />

07/08<br />

08/09<br />

09/10<br />

10/11<br />

Number of buses procured in the Nordic region<br />

Number of publicly procured buses where<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has offered a tender<br />

Number of buses won by <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

SALES<br />

Rolling four quarters<br />

SEK M<br />

8,000<br />

7,000<br />

6,000<br />

5,000<br />

4,000<br />

3,000<br />

2,000<br />

1,000<br />

0<br />

SEK M<br />

1,000<br />

800<br />

600<br />

400<br />

200<br />

0<br />

–200<br />

MSEK<br />

–200<br />

7 000<br />

–400 6 000<br />

–600 5 000<br />

–800 4 000<br />

3 000Q1<br />

–1,000 06/07<br />

2 000<br />

* Adjusted for one-off costs and non-recurring costs<br />

1 000<br />

Q1<br />

06/07<br />

Q1<br />

06/07<br />

0<br />

05/06<br />

Q1<br />

07/08<br />

Q1<br />

07/08<br />

06/07<br />

Q1<br />

08/09<br />

EARNINGS TREND *<br />

Rolling four quarters<br />

SEK M<br />

400<br />

200<br />

0<br />

Q1<br />

07/08<br />

EBIT<br />

EBITDAR<br />

Q1<br />

08/09<br />

Q1<br />

08/09<br />

07/08<br />

Q1<br />

09/10<br />

EBITDA<br />

Q1<br />

09/10<br />

EBT<br />

Q1<br />

09/10<br />

08/09<br />

IN BrIeF<br />

Q1<br />

10/11<br />

Q1<br />

10/11<br />

Q1<br />

10/11<br />

09/10<br />

NOBINA | Regional ANNuAl trafikrepOrt Interregional <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> trafik 5


FrAmvAgNsvINjett<br />

<strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

the year in review<br />

the year in review was characterized by snowstorms, an ash cloud – and business<br />

as usual. All in all, <strong>2010</strong> was an eventful year with major changes in the market prior<br />

to the new public transport Act, which comes into force next year.<br />

MARKEt<br />

NeW lAW ON lOWer DrIvINg Age<br />

the swedish riksdag decided on a<br />

lower age for bus driver’s licenses,<br />

which is expected to benefit the<br />

recruitment of young drivers to<br />

the industry.<br />

NeW puBlIC trANspOrt<br />

ACt IN sWeDeN<br />

public transport will be deregulated<br />

in sweden in 2012 and private traffic<br />

companies will be able to establish<br />

new routes on a commercial basis.<br />

Basic public transport will also be<br />

offered by traffic companies in the<br />

future through public procurement<br />

by the public transport authority.<br />

6 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

ORGANIzAtION<br />

NeW grOup struCture<br />

A new group structure was established<br />

early in the year to increase<br />

efficiency and create a clearer business<br />

focus. <strong>Nobina</strong> sweden, Norway,<br />

Finland and Denmark are part of the<br />

new regional traffic business area,<br />

while swebus belongs to the Interregional<br />

traffic business area. Central<br />

functions were combined into fewer<br />

units to enhance coordination.<br />

steIN NIlseN NeW<br />

mANAgINg DIreCtOr<br />

IN NOrWAY<br />

In December <strong>2010</strong>,<br />

stein Nilsen became<br />

the new managing<br />

Director for <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

in Norway. he has long experience in<br />

the personal traffic industry, and was<br />

formerly the executive vice president<br />

of NsB with responsibility for NsB<br />

persontog. prior to that, he worked in<br />

the sAs group for more than 20 years.<br />

AWARDS<br />

sWeDIsh hr mANAger<br />

OF the YeAr, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s Director of human resources<br />

Ann-marie silokangas<br />

was announced human<br />

resources manager of the<br />

Year for <strong>2010</strong>. she<br />

received the award for<br />

her efforts to develop<br />

leadership within the<br />

group and create a culture<br />

where the individual is visible<br />

and can develop.<br />

OperAtOr OF the YeAr:<br />

NOBINA DeNmArK<br />

In may <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> was awarded<br />

Best Operator in Denmark by movia,<br />

the public transport authority in the<br />

Copenhagen/Zealand area.<br />

sWeBus – A sustAIN<strong>AB</strong>le BrAND<br />

In early <strong>2011</strong>, swebus was announced<br />

third-best traffic company in sweden<br />

for its environmental and social<br />

responsibility, by the sustainable<br />

Brands survey.


REGIONAL tRAFFIC<br />

NeW CONtrACts IN gOtheNBurg,<br />

NOrrKÖpINg AND mAlmÖ<br />

In <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> secured contracts<br />

for västtrafik, Norr köping and malmö<br />

City. the contracts comprises a total<br />

of 167 buses for city and commuter<br />

traffic in and around the three cities.<br />

however, <strong>Nobina</strong> lost two existing<br />

contracts with sl in the stockholm<br />

area. malmö City is now <strong>Nobina</strong>’s<br />

largest traffic area.<br />

NeW CONtrACt IN NOrrtÄlje<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> secured a very exciting<br />

contract in Norrtälje commencing<br />

june <strong>2011</strong>. the contract comprises 85<br />

buses and combines a fixed price with<br />

variable remuneration for the number<br />

of boarding customers. For the first<br />

time, storstockholms lokaltrafik (sl)<br />

is allowing traffic companies to help<br />

design and be responsible for the<br />

customer offering.<br />

NOBINA FIrst WIth IsO CertIFI-<br />

CAtION OF All stOCKhOlm trAFFIC<br />

In july <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> became the<br />

first bus company in the industry<br />

to become IsO-certified in all traffic<br />

areas in stockholm. the certification<br />

involves 2,000 employees<br />

and 700 buses.<br />

INtERREGIONAL tRAFFIC<br />

sWeBus sIgNs sAles CONtrACt<br />

WIth reItAN grOup<br />

swebus broadened its reseller network<br />

through a contract with the<br />

reitan group, which owns 7-eleven<br />

and pressbyrån, comprising more<br />

than 500 retail stores in sweden.<br />

NeW AIrpOrt shuttle trAFFIC<br />

stOCKhOlm–ArlANDA<br />

In may, <strong>Nobina</strong> took a serious step into<br />

the market for airport shuttle traffic,<br />

in competition with Arlanda Xpress<br />

and Flygbussarna. the new direct<br />

route between Arlanda and Cityterminalen<br />

in stockholm takes<br />

35 minutes.<br />

hIgher perFOrmANCe<br />

sAtIsFACtION<br />

Customers gave swebus a considerably<br />

higher rating in the annual<br />

performance satisfaction<br />

survey conducted by<br />

svenskt kvalitetsindex (sKI).<br />

the survey also indicates<br />

that passengers give the<br />

entire bus industry a higher<br />

rating and that they are more<br />

satisfied with buses than<br />

both rail and air travel.<br />

FrAmvAgNsvINjett<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 7


stAtemeNt FrOm the CeO<br />

Improvement in all areas<br />

– with sights set higher<br />

Nordic public traffic has undergone a range of reforms during our hundred years in the<br />

market, but these changes were probably never greater than now. A new public transport<br />

act will come into force, the remaining concession contracts will expire and the Nordic<br />

contract model is being developed. mobility increases while more people are becoming<br />

aware of our own impact on the environment. In retrospect, it feels positive to contribute<br />

to future public traffic in a market where traffic companies are advancing their positions.<br />

We achieved major improvements in all areas<br />

in <strong>2010</strong>. We strengthened operating profit by<br />

SEK 40 million and implemented a more efficient<br />

organizational structure, but our sights<br />

were set higher. A key explanation for this<br />

lower-than-expected outcome was that the<br />

fiscal year began and ended with abnormally<br />

cold and snowy weather, which increased<br />

virtually all operating expenses – while fuel<br />

prices rose. The winter had a negative impact<br />

of SEK 62 million on profit for the year.<br />

Despite these severe conditions, we managed<br />

to maintain 99.8% of our driven routes and<br />

greater profitability, primarily due to costconscious<br />

thinking, better use of our buses<br />

and most of all, dedicated employees who<br />

actively contributed to the implementation<br />

of our improvement activities. We have also<br />

gained higher volumes in our existing contracts,<br />

which is a ripple effect of our marketing<br />

efforts and the political drive to double public<br />

transport’s share of total travel.<br />

SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES IN OUR<br />

NORDIC OPERATIONS<br />

We strengthened our position in Sweden in<br />

several key locations. We lost two SL contracts<br />

with a total of 300 buses to Busslink in Stockholm,<br />

which we regret, but are also happy<br />

with our success in the rest of the country.<br />

Service launches for half of the city traffic<br />

in Malmö and several express routes in<br />

Gothenburg were major events, as was winning<br />

a new and interesting contract in Norrtälje<br />

with SL, which will commence in the<br />

summer. We are very excited about the new<br />

Norrtälje traffic since it builds on a demandbased<br />

remuneration model where <strong>Nobina</strong> as a<br />

8 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

traffic company will be responsible for designing<br />

and marketing the offering to customers.<br />

The Norwegian operations had a more<br />

difficult year with efficiency problems and<br />

loss of contracts. Operating traffic is more<br />

expensive in Norway and we are struggling<br />

to bring costs down to satisfactory levels.<br />

But we also see great future potential in the<br />

Norwegian market, which is currently<br />

undergoing a series of changes. The trend<br />

towards more public procurements is moving<br />

fast and the market share is expected to<br />

exceed 50% by <strong>2011</strong>. In December, Stein<br />

Nilsen became the new Managing Director<br />

for <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway. With more than 20<br />

years in the Nordic personal traffic sector,<br />

I think he will be an excellent leader for the<br />

Norwegian operations.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark continued to develop<br />

positively in <strong>2010</strong> and we are satisfied with<br />

both the efficient operation and excellent<br />

customer service. After just two years in the<br />

market, <strong>Nobina</strong> was announced “Operator<br />

of the year” by Movia, the largest client in<br />

the country, and we recently secured more<br />

traffic in a contract with them. We commenced<br />

two new contracts and have high<br />

hopes for continued growth, but will continue<br />

to have start-up and expansion costs.<br />

We maintained our position and an<br />

unchanged market share in Finland, despite<br />

a number of challenges and continued price<br />

pressure. With a loss in the spring and one<br />

win in the fall, our market share remained<br />

unchanged throughout the year. The challenges<br />

in the Finnish market are considerable,<br />

but more contracts are expected to become<br />

competitive in coming years and we have a<br />

solid and efficient organization in place to<br />

take advantage of market growth.<br />

Our Interregional player Swebus is a wellknown<br />

brand with a strong offering. After a<br />

very good start to the year, where the ash<br />

cloud contributed to a sharp increase in bus<br />

travel, the end of the year was more difficult<br />

– for two main reasons. Customers choose<br />

more expensive transport when times are<br />

better, and price competition is increasing<br />

from public players. To strengthen our position<br />

and clarify our value to customers, we<br />

will invest more in sales promotion in the<br />

future. Swebus launched a successful direct<br />

transfer between Stockholm Central and<br />

Arlanda at the beginning of summer. The<br />

investment was initially costly but this<br />

is a long-term venture and, to date, has<br />

proceeded according to schedule.<br />

STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN THE MARKET<br />

In recent years, competition in regional<br />

traffic has been difficult to break through in<br />

all countries except Sweden and Denmark.<br />

Public players have won contracts at prices<br />

that we cannot possibly match given the<br />

quality that we want to offer. But the trend<br />

is unsustainable because under-priced contracts<br />

have not been able to generate a profit<br />

for these players. As a result, public players<br />

are currently under review in Finland,<br />

Denmark and Norway.<br />

In Finland, the municipal main competitor<br />

HELB, was challenged after the municipality<br />

was forced to cover up the company’s<br />

losses with increasing loans. The Danish<br />

government has banned Danish company<br />

DSB from participating in procurements


in Sweden because of its losses here. The<br />

Office of the Auditor General of Norway is<br />

reviewing government-run Nettbuss’ operations<br />

outside of Norway, and the sale of<br />

Unibuss is being assessed in Oslo. In Sweden,<br />

the municipal bus company in Gothenburg<br />

is continuing to suffer heavy losses. We can<br />

verify that publicly owned public transport<br />

companies that are not operated on business<br />

terms are no longer sustainable in the long<br />

term, and it is only a matter of time before<br />

we see the consequences. I am convinced<br />

that an experienced traffic company with<br />

the tools to change, such as <strong>Nobina</strong>, will<br />

be tomorrow’s winner.<br />

The Nordic market is already consolidating<br />

through a series of acquisitions and mergers.<br />

Deutsche Bahn purchased British Arriva and<br />

the French players Veolia and Transdev are<br />

currently merging their public transport organizations.<br />

And this trend is expected to continue,<br />

especially in Sweden. Storstockholms Lokaltrafik<br />

(SL) sold its remaining holding in Busslink<br />

to Keolis during the year, which coincided<br />

with the procurement of several major SL<br />

contracts. KR-trafik and Nettbuss Sverige<br />

dissolved their ownership ties and Vänersborgs<br />

Linjetrafik (VL-trafik) was taken over by<br />

Buss i Väst. In addition, a number of small<br />

traffic companies in the bus industry formed<br />

the Together alliance.<br />

It is difficult to fully assess how the new<br />

Swedish Public Transport Act will influence<br />

market developments, but we can already see<br />

how nearly all counties are organizing public<br />

traffic in a new government agency, the Swedish<br />

Transport Administration, to increase<br />

political influence. The county council thus<br />

assumes total responsibility for public transport.<br />

The most important factor for <strong>Nobina</strong>,<br />

we believe, is that traffic solutions are being<br />

developed together with the traffic companies<br />

and that it takes place closer to customers,<br />

based on local conditions.<br />

More and more public transport authorities<br />

are applying incentive-driven contracts<br />

but despite a positive trend in contract terms<br />

and conditions, it is still difficult for new<br />

players to participate in procurements. The<br />

traffic companies are forced to calculate the<br />

excessive additional costs to cover the risks<br />

and specific requirements imposed by the<br />

contracting authorities. We do not think<br />

that the risks for damage and extreme<br />

weather conditions should lie solely with<br />

traffic companies. Our hope is that more<br />

public transport authorities choose to design<br />

contract terms and conditions in line with<br />

industry recommendations so that customers<br />

do not need to pay too high a price for public<br />

transport.<br />

HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND MAJOR<br />

OPPORTUNITIES<br />

Our vision is that everyone will travel with<br />

us. That is why we work consistently to<br />

stAtemeNt FrOm the CeO<br />

» We focus on<br />

contracts with<br />

good profitability.<br />

improve our offering to customers. How well<br />

we succeed depends on how well we can<br />

motivate our employees, whose dedication is<br />

one of our key competitive advantages.<br />

Thus, during the year, we clarified our shared<br />

values, developed our offering to increase the<br />

number of trips, invested time and resources<br />

in leadership issues and increased the<br />

number of individual performance reviews<br />

and feedback opportunities.<br />

In the coming year, we will focus on securing<br />

more contracts with conditions for good<br />

profitability. The more procurements in the<br />

market, the greater the selection of interesting<br />

contracts to bid for. We will maintain<br />

our strategy to tender only for conditions<br />

with profitable development and therefore<br />

welcome the new quality evaluations in<br />

which we can better demonstrate the added<br />

value we offer customers. We will also review<br />

our working processes and continue to<br />

improve productivity. Optimization of the<br />

bus fleet is central in this respect, as is finding<br />

alternative fuel solutions in order to<br />

achieve greater flexibility as fuel costs rise.<br />

In our world, the road to a sustainable<br />

society begins with buses and we are<br />

convinced that customer satisfaction and<br />

higher margins go hand in hand – in the<br />

next hundred years too.<br />

Ragnar Norbäck<br />

CEO<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 9


MArKet OVerVIeW<br />

public transport – an everyday event<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> operates in a growing market in transition; public transport has never<br />

been more right. More and more people choose to travel by bus because it<br />

saves time, money and the environment. traffic companies gain more control<br />

over how traffic is designed and tomorrow’s winners are the players who can<br />

offer an attractive, affordable and profitable product to their customers.<br />

THE Traffic TrEND<br />

A GROWING MARKET<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s largest market is in metropolitan<br />

regions. The majority of people choose the<br />

bus sometimes and about 25% use public<br />

transport every day. Women travel by bus<br />

more often than men, while young people<br />

and pensioners travel by bus most frequently.<br />

The Nordic market for public transport by<br />

bus is expected to grow over the coming years<br />

and generated around SEK 44 billion in <strong>2010</strong>,<br />

of which regional traffic accounted for nearly<br />

90% and interregional traffic for slightly<br />

more than 10%.<br />

THE PublIc TRANsPORT TREND Is GROWING,<br />

buT cHANGING HAbITs TAKEs TIME<br />

Environmental considerations, leisure time<br />

and personal finances make bus or train<br />

transport more attractive than driving. Just<br />

five passengers on a bus, irrespective of fuel,<br />

has already contributed to reducing our environmental<br />

impact. But despite the fact that<br />

cars are expensive, create congestion and<br />

have a negative impact on the environment,<br />

driving is increasing at a faster rate than bus<br />

traffic, due to the convenience, in all areas<br />

except metropolitan regions. Most people<br />

who do not use public transport do not know<br />

how public transport works or where it operates.<br />

Prejudices about travel times and disruptions<br />

make the threshold high. Efforts by<br />

politicians and traffic companies have not<br />

managed to increase the market share for<br />

public transport, which has remained at<br />

10 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

about 20% for decades. But a joint change<br />

processes is currently taking place.<br />

A doubling of public transport would<br />

reduce the carbon emissions of passenger<br />

traffic by more than 20% and provide an<br />

economic gain of more than SEK 4 billion.<br />

In early 2008, a united public transport<br />

industry thus presented its ambition to<br />

double the market share of public transport<br />

in the short term, and to double the overall<br />

travel by public transport by 2020 to the<br />

Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications.<br />

In spring 2008, industry associations<br />

presented a joint action plan to the<br />

government, after which doubling work<br />

proceeded with full force through various<br />

sub-projects.<br />

PRIcING AND PRODucT DEVElOPMENT<br />

When times are tough, it is difficult for<br />

the government, municipalities and county<br />

councils to achieve a balanced budget, which<br />

reduces opportunities for public transport<br />

to receive higher appropriations. Economic<br />

development also affects the funding of<br />

buses, which accounts for around 40% of<br />

the costs in contracts. All buses in the market<br />

today are custom-built since requirements<br />

vary from one client to another, and the<br />

continued low number of competing bus<br />

suppliers has a negative impact on pricing<br />

and product development.<br />

In <strong>2010</strong>, several international traffic<br />

companies showed low or negative profitability<br />

in their Nordic operations. All players<br />

expect that the price scenario in the Nordic<br />

region will improve for traffic companies.<br />

» environmental considerations,<br />

leisure<br />

time and personal<br />

finances make bus or<br />

train transport more<br />

attractive than driving.


A VERy<br />

ORDINARy<br />

DAy


MArKet OVerVIeW<br />

» Bus transport accounted for about 59%<br />

of total public transport and increased<br />

slightly during <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

The trend throughout the Nordic region is<br />

toward more incentive-driven contracts,<br />

which will increase travel and make it profitable<br />

to offer public transport. And as more<br />

traffic areas are opened up for competition,<br />

the price scenario will improve and benefit<br />

the traffic companies that can deliver high<br />

quality for a good price.<br />

TRAVEl IN THE NORDIc cOuNTRIEs<br />

Travel is increasing in Sweden and this is true<br />

for both car travel and public transport. Bus<br />

traffic accounted for approximately 59% of<br />

total public transport, up 0.4% during <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

That can be compared with the subway, which<br />

accounted for approximately 27% and trains<br />

for approximately 14% of trips.<br />

In Norway, the number of travelers using<br />

public transport increased by 1.3% during<br />

<strong>2010</strong>, which corresponded to developments<br />

during 2009, according to the Statistics<br />

Norway. The largest growth occurred in<br />

Overview of public transport in sweden, Denmark, Norway and Finland <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

All scheduled public<br />

transports (rail and bus)<br />

12 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Market value,<br />

SeK bn<br />

Number<br />

of buses<br />

scheduled public<br />

bus transports<br />

Market value<br />

SeK bn<br />

Number<br />

of buses<br />

scheduled public bus transports<br />

exposed to competition<br />

regional traffic<br />

Market value, SeK bn<br />

Interregional traffic<br />

Market value, SeK bn<br />

Sweden 30.2 7,696 14.8 7,186 14.0 0.8<br />

Denmark 24.5 3,247 8.4 3,177 8.2 0.3<br />

Norway 13.3 6,328 13.2 2,519 3.6 0.3<br />

Finland 20.6 4,913 7.6 1,354 2.7 0.8<br />

Total 88.6 22,184 44.0 14,236 28.5 2.2<br />

Market values are estimates made by <strong>Nobina</strong>.<br />

conjunction with the expansion of subway<br />

and streetcar lines, although those comprise a<br />

relatively small portion of the total traffic. Bus<br />

traffic accounted for approximately 60% of<br />

the total public transport, with that percentage<br />

remaining unchanged in recent years.<br />

In Finland, public transport increased in<br />

the capital city area by 2.2% during <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

Bus traffic accounted for just over half of<br />

trips, increasing by 4% during that time<br />

period. That can be compared with the subway,<br />

which accounted for approximately<br />

17.5% and trains for 14.4% of trips.<br />

In Denmark, bus traffic accounted for<br />

approximately 40% of trips according to<br />

a study conducted in 2009. Conditions<br />

remained unchanged during <strong>2010</strong>. The<br />

number of travelers has fallen since 2003 as<br />

a result of economic growth and increased<br />

competition from cars as the primary mode<br />

of transportation. Following the same trend,<br />

the number of bus trips increased by 2.4%<br />

during <strong>2010</strong> due to the financial crisis. The<br />

past two years have seen comprehensive<br />

changes to public transport in the form<br />

of cutbacks, structural changes and streamlining<br />

of both city and regional traffic.


NEARNEss IN<br />

EVERyDAy lIFE<br />

FrAMVAgNSVINjett


BACKgrOuND: HOW WE GOT HERE – PublIc TRANsPORT IN sWEDEN<br />

THE 1960s aND 1970s saw a sharp<br />

downturn in public transport as the<br />

car made its inroads into society. traffic<br />

companies held exclusive rights and<br />

controlled both pricing and traffic over<br />

the principals in their respective traffic<br />

areas. Despite subsidies, poor coordination<br />

of timetables and complicated<br />

ticket systems, it was difficult to break<br />

out of this pattern and there was an<br />

enormous need to shift the power from<br />

the traffic companies to the politicians.<br />

In 1967, Storstockholms lokaltrafik<br />

(Sl) was founded and in 1978 there<br />

was a transport authority reform.<br />

THE 1980s the transport authority<br />

reform took effect and resulted in<br />

coordinated transport offerings that<br />

were acquired through public procurement<br />

and a new ticketing system. We<br />

went from having bus routes to a bus<br />

system and public transport received<br />

a real boost thanks to a good economy<br />

and a political desire that more people<br />

should be able to travel together. With<br />

the new coordinated transport system,<br />

Stockholmers could travel throughout<br />

the entire city for only SeK 50 per<br />

month and a person from jämtland<br />

no longer needed to have four different<br />

tickets to travel to and from their<br />

job. However, it was only in 1989, in<br />

conjunction with the next transport<br />

reform, that the market was entirely<br />

deregulated.<br />

THE 1990s saw concession contracts<br />

(with a few small exceptions) and transport<br />

rights revert back to the public<br />

transport authorities, who could now<br />

implement public procurement of<br />

a desired bid, regardless of old structures.<br />

the power shifted from the traffic<br />

companies, who were forced to deliver<br />

the corresponding offerings as before<br />

– but at much lower prices. We ended<br />

up with higher quality thanks to a new<br />

buyer’s perspective, but also an unrealistic<br />

price point due to the fierce competition.<br />

the traffic companies were not<br />

mature enough to evaluate the market<br />

and acquired market shares at below<br />

cost prices with the hope of profitable<br />

contracts. At the same time, the amount<br />

of tax funds decreased due to the financial<br />

crisis, draining traffic companies<br />

who had limited means of impacting the<br />

product. We still see the consequences<br />

of that development today.<br />

14 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

THE 2000s provided us with clearer<br />

transport offerings, lower costs and<br />

higher quality. At the same time, traffic<br />

companies took on large losses and the<br />

open procurement process had developed<br />

into a complicated system that<br />

limited both purchasers and providers<br />

since it focused more on details and<br />

costs than on function and customer<br />

needs. Around the world, there was an<br />

increased focus on environmental and<br />

climate change issues, urbanization<br />

continued, fuel prices shot through<br />

the roof and congestion fees were<br />

implemented to better control<br />

traffic. Following the completion of<br />

the government study, Koll Framåt,<br />

which came out in 2007, the public<br />

transport industry rallied during the<br />

beginning of 2008 around a proposal<br />

for a common plan of action to double<br />

the market share of public transport<br />

over the short term and public transport<br />

travel by 2020.<br />

THE <strong>2010</strong>s will see changes with the<br />

new public transport law that goes into<br />

effect on january 1, 2012. the goal of the<br />

new law is to modernize public transport<br />

and adapt it to the eu’s new regulations<br />

in that area. According to the<br />

new legislation, traffic companies shall<br />

be allowed to establish commercial<br />

public transport offerings freely within<br />

all geographic market segments, with<br />

the goal of increasing the dynamics<br />

and contributing to a greater offering of<br />

public transport options and increased<br />

travel. At the same time, the regional<br />

public transport authorities will have<br />

better prerequisites to act efficiently<br />

through a more functional authority<br />

and a more clearly defined role and<br />

division of responsibilities, according to<br />

the government. For travelers, the new<br />

regulations will result in a larger number<br />

of travel alternatives and increased<br />

freedom of choice.<br />

T h e n …<br />

… and now.


the market for regional traffic<br />

the business model for regional traffic ensures steady revenues through long<br />

contracts and close relationships with customers and principals. the Nordic<br />

market is undergoing significant transformation with ongoing consolidations<br />

through acquisitions or mergers. Soon the last concession agreements will<br />

expire and more traffic areas will open up for public procurement.<br />

THE PUBLic PrOcUrEMENT MODEL<br />

A TRAFFIc AREA Is PROcuRED …<br />

Politically controlled, publically owned principals<br />

are responsible for regional traffic service,<br />

usually the municipality or county council.<br />

Regional traffic includes county traffic,<br />

city traffic and school bus traffic. In many<br />

parts of the Nordic countries individual public<br />

transport authorities and traffic companies<br />

hold exclusive rights for operations<br />

through old, concession agreements. However,<br />

in more places traffic is being publically<br />

procured in accordance with the EU’s new<br />

traffic regulations, which forbid concession<br />

agreements. As current concession agreements<br />

expire during the coming years,<br />

public transport throughout the Nordic<br />

countries will become competitive.<br />

… THROuGH PublIc PROcuREMENT …<br />

In those instances where traffic agreements<br />

have been awarded in accordance with the<br />

law for public procurement, the public transport<br />

authority invites all interested traffic<br />

companies to a public procurement. Preparations<br />

for a procurement are started well in<br />

advance and active subsidiaries begin to hold<br />

general discussions with the relevant public<br />

transport authority up to three years before<br />

the actual formal process begins. Special<br />

procurement teams create an accurate, comprehensive<br />

picture of the conditions year by<br />

year, for every individual case. Planning<br />

encompasses everything from pavement and<br />

traffic planning to investments in employees,<br />

fuel, buses and deposits. The goal is to prepare<br />

a bid that is attractive for all parties –<br />

both the principal and customers – and<br />

which also provides the traffic company satis -<br />

factory profitability.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> plays an active role in the industry<br />

dialog that is conducted between traffic companies<br />

and principals, in order to improve<br />

the correlation between goals and means in<br />

the tender process – such as evaluation models<br />

and general terms for increased predictability<br />

and transparency. A few concrete<br />

results of these initiatives include standardized<br />

industry contract templates that were<br />

developed during <strong>2010</strong> and new types of<br />

quality controls that are now being used by<br />

more transit authorities during procurement.<br />

… THE EMPlOyER AND THE WINNING TRAFFIc<br />

cOMPANy DRAW uP A cONTRAcT …<br />

The contract between the employer and the<br />

traffic company regulates how transport<br />

should be operated and generally is in force<br />

for between five and eight years, with the<br />

option for an extension. The contract regulates<br />

everything from timetables and ticket<br />

prices to what the buses should look like and<br />

what kind of fuel they should use. The aim is<br />

to make the contract less detail-oriented and<br />

more functionally based so that traffic companies<br />

have greater latitude in formulating<br />

their offerings according to their own evaluation<br />

of the market’s needs.<br />

The most common format is for the traffic<br />

company to receive payment in accordance<br />

with a gross contract. That enables the public<br />

transport authority to receive all ticket revenues<br />

while compensation to the traffic company<br />

is determined based on the number of<br />

kilometers and hours driven, which provides<br />

limited incentives to attract riders over<br />

the short term. Net contracts are rare,<br />

and instead provide a majority of ticket<br />

MArKet – regIONAl trAFFIC<br />

revenues to the traffic company and benefit<br />

those players who can run an efficient operation<br />

and attract the most travelers. The disadvantage<br />

is that a traffic company cannot<br />

control offerings according to demand – that<br />

is overseen by the principal. Finally, an<br />

incentive contract is a hybrid between a gross<br />

and a net contract and is becoming increasingly<br />

commonplace in the market. These<br />

are based on a gross contract but provide<br />

the traffic company with an opportunity<br />

to increase its revenue if the number of<br />

passengers increases.<br />

… AND THEN THE TRAFFIc sTARTs ROllING<br />

Once a company has negotiated a contract<br />

with a public transport authority and it has<br />

been signed, it is generally the case that the<br />

terms of the contract may not be renegotiated<br />

unless both parties mutually agree to<br />

the changes. Once traffic starts rolling,<br />

existing bus drivers and other operational<br />

employees usually move over to the bus<br />

company that wins the contract. This immediately<br />

eliminates costs for wages, insurance<br />

and pensions for those employees for the<br />

bus company that is handing over the traffic.<br />

The incoming traffic company must offer<br />

employment to drivers in the pool that<br />

consists of previous employees of the outgoing<br />

traffic company, before any eventual<br />

new hires.<br />

Most contracts contain the option of<br />

extension by one to three years, if the public<br />

transport authority informs the traffic company<br />

about this one year before the expiration<br />

of the original contract period.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 15


MArKet – regIONAl trAFFIC<br />

THE PaTH TO PrOfiTaBiLiTY<br />

REVENuEs<br />

At today’s price levels, ticket revenues are<br />

insufficient to cover the principal’s costs. The<br />

difference is funded through taxes. The rate<br />

of self-financing varies both nationally and<br />

over time, but lies on average at between<br />

50–60% for all of the Nordic market, with<br />

local variations.<br />

Commonplace for all the various types of<br />

traffic agreements is that changes in compensation<br />

over time track an index that is intended to<br />

compensate the traffic company when the<br />

costs of, for example, fuel or salaries, increase.<br />

How often the index is adjusted varies somewhat<br />

among the Nordic countries, but the<br />

trend is towards more frequent adjustments. In<br />

Denmark, the index is adjusted monthly, in<br />

Sweden and Finland on a quarterly basis, while<br />

in Norway calculations are made only one year<br />

after the fact.<br />

cOsTs<br />

Pricing is usually the primary variable for traffic<br />

companies to favorably distinguish themselves<br />

during the procurement process, which,<br />

as a rule, favors larger, more efficient traffic<br />

companies that can deliver transport services at<br />

low costs. <strong>Nobina</strong> operates with the principle of<br />

only submitting bids that have good prerequisites<br />

for good profitability, and therefore<br />

chooses not to use pricing to win over its competitors.<br />

As the largest bus traffic company in<br />

the Nordic countries, <strong>Nobina</strong> has achieved significant<br />

savings by centralizing a large portion<br />

of purchases for all of the Group’s operational<br />

subsidiaries. This means that the company can<br />

often procure a contract at price levels that are<br />

competitive, for example by seeking out advantageous<br />

terms for items such as fuel, tires and<br />

spare parts for buses.<br />

The bus fleet comprises approximately<br />

40% of the contract cost. Oftentimes the<br />

solution that a customer selects contains a<br />

combination of newly purchased buses and<br />

buses that have already been used previously<br />

16 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

in operations. Investments occur in advance<br />

of traffic startup and the goal is to relocate or<br />

sell buses in conjunction with the expiration<br />

of a contract. The more standardized buses<br />

are, the broader the area of application they<br />

have within the Group over time. Principals’<br />

demands on buses can be very specific, however,<br />

when it comes to things like fuel type,<br />

seat material, door width or body color,<br />

which requires long-term planning in order<br />

to optimize usage over time. The requirements<br />

on buses are similar in the Nordic<br />

countries with the exception of Finland,<br />

which means that it is more difficult to<br />

relocate buses into or out of that country in<br />

conjunction with a new contract.<br />

Specification of fuel type and emissions<br />

requirements are standard today in the procurement<br />

documents. Keeping in line with<br />

political objectives, 40% of traffic should be<br />

operated using buses that use renewable fuels<br />

by 2012 and 90% by 2020. In order to meet<br />

these goals, traffic companies will have to<br />

quickly adapt their bus fleets and increase<br />

their share of renewable fuels. This means a<br />

cost increase and major reorganizations for<br />

both bus companies and public transport<br />

authorities. <strong>Nobina</strong> is intensifying its business<br />

intelligence and skill development within the<br />

area of future fuels. Dialog with suppliers and<br />

principals is increasingly focused on the purchase<br />

of buses, and on various cooperative<br />

1,200<br />

900<br />

600<br />

300<br />

0<br />

–300<br />

–600<br />

–900<br />

Revenue<br />

Book value<br />

EBITDAR<br />

EBIT<br />

Accumulated cash flow<br />

projects with manufacturers and public transport<br />

authorities a number of different alternative<br />

fuels are being evaluated.<br />

PROFITAbIlITy<br />

Customer-specific solutions, like the start<br />

of a new traffic contract, often involve new<br />

investments in a bus fleet, both in terms of<br />

upgrades of existing buses as well as new<br />

purchases. Costs and revenues in individual<br />

contracts are therefore unevenly distributed<br />

across contract periods, as is profitability.<br />

In addition, insufficient index calculations<br />

can potentially make cost increases for fuel<br />

and wages a problem for traffic companies.<br />

A correctly calculated contract in combination<br />

with effective operations will, however,<br />

yield positive profitability when viewed over<br />

the entire contract period. Consequently, the<br />

composition of the contract portfolio of new<br />

and current contracts affects the combined<br />

profitability for a particular year. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

has approximately 146 traffic contracts of<br />

varying ages and sizes.<br />

Optimization of the bus fleet, efficient<br />

traffic planning and a good dialog with the<br />

principal is the best path to good profitability.<br />

By avoiding empty mileage, using environmentally<br />

friendly fuel, applying environmentally<br />

friendly driving techniques and<br />

above all, filling up buses with people, both<br />

emissions and costs can be reduced.<br />

Profitability development of a normal seven-year contract with a two-year extension<br />

SEK M CONTRACT YEARS OPTION YEARS<br />

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7 Year 8 Year 9


A new way forward in Norrtälje<br />

In june <strong>2011</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> will be starting up new traffic in Norrtälje on behalf of the<br />

principal Sl. this is the first time that Sl is allowing a traffic company to have<br />

such a large responsibility for direct customer relations. In its Norrtälje contract,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has received a large degree of freedom to design the offerings,<br />

timetables and marketing – and along with it an increased opportunity to<br />

impact the number of riders. this means that <strong>Nobina</strong> is taking on greater risk,<br />

but will also keep a larger portion of the revenues.<br />

the new Norrtälje traffic operation is one of this year’s most<br />

exciting events. In its contract with Sl, <strong>Nobina</strong> has received<br />

increased responsibility, a wide degree of latitude and clear<br />

financial incentives to increase public transport between<br />

Norrtälje and Stockholm.<br />

The goal is increased ridership<br />

the contract is divided into two different compensation<br />

models. In the more traditional portion <strong>Nobina</strong> will receive<br />

»normal« compensation for traffic in and around roslagen,<br />

local traffic in Norrtälje and rural traffic farther out in the<br />

county. In the second portion, which encompasses three<br />

commuter lines, <strong>Nobina</strong> will instead be paid solely based on<br />

the number of riders – one amount per boarding passenger<br />

during rush hour traffic and another lower amount per boarding<br />

passenger during non­rush hour periods. there is also<br />

room for a quality bonus for extra high customer satisfaction,<br />

which could be a challenge since Norrtälje residents are<br />

currently the most satisfied in the entire county.<br />

»We look forward to demonstrating how we as a traffic<br />

company can increase ridership through improved offerings.<br />

With our ambition of eventually doubling the number of passengers,<br />

having satisfied customers is a very good starting<br />

point,« says traffic manager leif enebrink.<br />

High level of onboard service<br />

the three commuter lines will be operated using doubledecker<br />

buses and have onboard wireless Internet. the buses<br />

will operate on rMe fuel (biodiesel made from rape seed oil)<br />

which is entirely fossil­free. the advantage of double­decker<br />

buses is that <strong>Nobina</strong> can offer a product with a high level<br />

of comfort that allows all riders to better utilize their travel<br />

time. the buses will also be fully accessible to people with<br />

limited mobility.<br />

»Onboard the buses we will be focusing on friendly treatment<br />

and accurate information, for example regarding traffic<br />

disruptions. We will also be reviewing traffic routes and possibly<br />

move the bus terminus according to traffic patterns and<br />

connecting traffic. It is practically only one’s imagination that<br />

will set the limit for how we can develop offerings so that more<br />

people choose to ride public transport,« says leif enebrink.<br />

better awareness of benefits<br />

the goal is to gradually increase bus ridership, primarily by<br />

reaching people traveling by car. public transport’s current<br />

share of the commuter traffic is 50% between Norrtälje and<br />

Stockholm. A comprehensive mapping and analysis has<br />

formed the basis for evaluating future potential. During its<br />

tender analysis, <strong>Nobina</strong> asked its potential customers where<br />

they travel, how they travel, when and why not. the average<br />

motorist thought that it took 45% longer time than what it<br />

actually takes – one hour. An important aspect of marketing<br />

in the future will therefore be to eliminate such biases and<br />

provide information about the possibilities and advantages<br />

of public transport.<br />

Immediately after the tender results were announced last<br />

December, work began on preparing for a traffic launch date<br />

in june. that is an unusually short start­up time compared<br />

with the more normal one year.<br />

»We have big plans for Norrtälje. Certain ideas will be implemented<br />

immediately, while others will have to wait until we<br />

have established a relationship and had time to test the system.<br />

Currently we are working intensively to get all the pieces in<br />

place and to train and inspire all our employees so that our traffic<br />

start will go as smoothly as possible,« says leif enebrink.<br />

Potential for profitability<br />

Depots and workshops have been adapted to be able to<br />

receive the new double­deckers. In addition, the bus facilities<br />

are located in the Norrtälje area and not in Stockholm. By<br />

having the parking lot where most of the drivers live, the buses<br />

will be able to start at the actual route rather than having to<br />

first be transported from Stockholm to the first stop. that<br />

eliminates idling and unnecessary environmental impact<br />

while eliminating an extra trip for drivers to get to work.<br />

»the Norrtälje contract is a clear step in line with the new<br />

public transport law that will go into effect in Sweden in 2012.<br />

the incentive portion with compensation per boarding passenger<br />

will mean a greater risk – if we do not succeed in<br />

attracting as many new riders as we estimate and hope for.<br />

Above all, however, it is a huge potential for the possibility of<br />

impacting travel to generate higher revenues and improved<br />

profitability,« says leif enebrink.


MArKet – regIONAl trAFFIC<br />

NOrDic OVErViEW<br />

Consolidation of the Swedish market began<br />

in <strong>2010</strong> through a number of acquisitions<br />

and mergers. Deutsche Bahn purchased<br />

Arriva. Veolia and Transdev are in the process<br />

of merging their public transport organizations.<br />

SL sold its 30% share in Busslink to<br />

Keolis, which now owns 100% of Busslink.<br />

Jämtland’s KR-trafik and Nettbuss Sverige<br />

dissolved their ownership ties. In addition,<br />

a number of smaller traffic companies in the<br />

bus industry formed the alliance Together.<br />

Vänersborgs Linjetrafik (VL-trafik) was<br />

acquired by Buss i Väst.<br />

sWEDEN<br />

In Sweden, <strong>Nobina</strong> is the market leader for<br />

regional traffic with one-third of the publically<br />

procured market, which is divided up<br />

into 20 public transport authorities and is<br />

worth approximately SEK 14 billion. Other<br />

major players in the market are Keolis-owned<br />

Busslink, Arriva and Veolia. Almost all routebased<br />

public transport by bus is procured publically.<br />

In certain cities, old concession agreements<br />

remain, limiting competition. SL is the<br />

largest public transport authority since Stockholm<br />

alone accounts for almost half of all<br />

Swedish public transport.<br />

According to the Swedish law regarding<br />

public procurement, the procuring authority<br />

shall accept the tender that has the lowest<br />

price or in some other way is financially most<br />

advantageous. The latter means that the bidder<br />

can attempt to compensate a higher price<br />

with a higher level of quality. In recent years,<br />

public transport authorities have implemented<br />

quality evaluations alongside of the<br />

quantitative comparisons among incoming<br />

tenders. In those instances, operational<br />

descriptions are also ranked and given equal<br />

weight as the tender price.<br />

Gross contracts are the most common in the<br />

Swedish market. The trend, however, is to<br />

move towards incentive contracts. Compensation<br />

in the contract is normally adjusted<br />

according to quarterly indexation calculations.<br />

18 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

In January 2012, new public transport legislation<br />

will go into effect in Sweden, with a<br />

more clearly defined focus on customers,<br />

providing greater responsibility – and<br />

momentum – to traffic companies. The legislation<br />

is based largely on models that were<br />

developed within the framework of the doubling<br />

effort, where the industry, with strong<br />

support from <strong>Nobina</strong>, has been active. The<br />

goal is to modernize public transport, create<br />

improved dynamics in markets and to<br />

increase travel. Strategic decisions about<br />

public transport, which today are often made<br />

by county traffic companies, shall be made<br />

through administrative formats for increased<br />

insight and improved coordination with<br />

other community planning.<br />

NORWAy<br />

The Norwegian market for contract-bound<br />

regional traffic amounts to approximately<br />

SEK 4 billion and comprises 20% of the total<br />

market for regional traffic. Market leaders<br />

include the state-owned Nettbuss with 26%<br />

of the competitive public bus traffic, while<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is the second largest with 17% of the<br />

market. In addition, there are a number of<br />

small, local companies that provide traffic<br />

through concessions.<br />

Since 1994, Norwegian public transport<br />

authorities have had the option, but have not<br />

been forced, to award traffic contracts<br />

through public procurement. The number of<br />

publically procured public transport agreements<br />

in Norway is therefore less than in<br />

Sweden, but is expected to exceed 50% during<br />

<strong>2011</strong> due to an EU directive that bans<br />

the current concession agreements. As competition<br />

increases in Norway, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

believes that room for consolidation among<br />

the local bus companies will increase.<br />

The public transport authority usually<br />

procures both school buses and route buses<br />

in a single tender. A few of the traffic packages<br />

now also include transportation services<br />

for the disabled. The supporting documents<br />

for tenders specify, like in Sweden, the routes<br />

and timetables that shall be covered by the<br />

traffic company and usually contain detailed<br />

requirements about bus type (i.e. age and<br />

design of the coach and interior), environmental<br />

standards (such as fuel type, emissions<br />

levels and exhaust filters) and quality.<br />

In urban areas, the trend is towards hybrid<br />

buses while in rural areas it is towards<br />

biodiesel with strict emissions requirements.<br />

The principals almost exclusively require new<br />

buses, which poses demanding financing<br />

requirements. Indexation adjustments of<br />

compensation occur only annually.<br />

FINlAND<br />

The Finnish market for public transport by<br />

bus is worth approximately SEK 6.5 billion<br />

and is expected to grow by 15% over the next<br />

few years. Regional traffic in Finland was<br />

deregulated in the mid-1990s, although the<br />

only markets that are open to public procurement<br />

are the Helsinki, Tampere and<br />

Turku areas, which together comprise<br />

around 40% of the total market. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

lacks access to well-situated bus depots in<br />

Turku and Tampere and only has traffic<br />

operations in the Helsinki area. Throughout<br />

the rest of Finland, public transport remains<br />

completely insulated from competition, benefiting<br />

small, local traffic companies. During<br />

the year, a new EU directive went into effect,<br />

limiting concession contracts. It is expected<br />

to open up large portions of the Finnish market<br />

to competition during the coming years.<br />

The Helsinki area is Finland’s largest market<br />

for regional traffic. Tendering procedures in<br />

the Helsinki area are designed like those in<br />

Sweden, with traffic contracts that last for five<br />

years. Unlike the other Nordic countries, however,<br />

contracts in Finland are normally procured<br />

for each specific route, rather than for<br />

an entire regional or local network. Since the<br />

merger of several transport and environmental<br />

authorities in <strong>2010</strong>, the Helsinki area has<br />

been dominated by a single public transport<br />

authority, HRT Helsinki Region Transport.<br />

Powerful pricing pressures have contributed<br />

to a consolidation of the Finnish market, which<br />

is currently dominated by five large players.


» <strong>Nobina</strong> operates with the principle of only submitting bids<br />

that have good prerequisites for good profitability, and therefore<br />

chooses not to use pricing to win over its competitors.<br />

The market leader in the Helsinki region is the<br />

municipal traffic company, Helsinki Bus<br />

Traffic, with over 40% of the market.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is the second largest with approximately<br />

one-third of the publicly procured traffic.<br />

Then comes French Veolia, the state railway<br />

operation Northern Transport (Pohjolan<br />

Liikenne) and finally Westendin Linjat.<br />

Currently, there is tough competition in<br />

a price environment that requires a high<br />

degree of efficiency to be able to yield a positive<br />

operating profit, although the pricing<br />

situation has become successively better over<br />

the past five years. In addition, cost indexation<br />

is a big challenge. It is regulated on a<br />

quarterly basis but is set up in such a way that<br />

potential cost increases during the previous<br />

quarter risk not being covered. Discussions<br />

are in progress with the principal, and the<br />

local transport union will be opening negotiations<br />

with both the new public transport<br />

authority and the authorities that control the<br />

index to secure more reasonable terms.<br />

MaJOr PLaYErS<br />

ARRIVA<br />

Arriva was previously listed on the london Stock exchange,<br />

but was bought out of the exchange by Deutsche Bahn in<br />

August <strong>2010</strong>. In the Nordic region, the company has operations<br />

in Sweden and Denmark. the company also conducts<br />

rail operations.<br />

VEOlIA<br />

Veolia is a listed French company that also provides trans port<br />

services on trains, light rail lines and ferries. the company is<br />

the only traffic company other than <strong>Nobina</strong> that has, or has<br />

had, scheduled transports in all of the Nordic countries, but left<br />

the Danish market a few years ago.<br />

busslINK/cITy-TRAFIK/KEOlIs<br />

French Keolis is the principal owner of Busslink, which was<br />

formerly called Sl­Buss and was at that time wholly owned by<br />

the Stockholm County Council (Sll). Similar to Arriva, Keolis is<br />

active in Sweden and Denmark but not in Norway or Finland.<br />

During <strong>2010</strong>, Sll sold its 30% ownership interest to French<br />

Keolis, which also owns the City­trafik company in Denmark.<br />

DENMARK<br />

In autumn 2008, <strong>Nobina</strong> successfully<br />

launched traffic operations in Denmark for<br />

the first time. Establishment of operations<br />

in Denmark meant entering a geographic<br />

market that is worth approximately SEK 7.5<br />

billion, or over 15% of the Nordic market<br />

for route-based public transport by bus. The<br />

Danish public transport by bus market was<br />

opened to competition in the early 1990s<br />

and currently all traffic areas in the country<br />

are procured.<br />

Public transport in Denmark works in the<br />

same manner as in the other Nordic markets.<br />

The market is consolidated into six regions<br />

with just as many public transport authorities.<br />

Arriva is the market leader with approximately<br />

40% of the market following three<br />

large acquisitions – municipal-run Bus<br />

Danmark, state-run railway operator Combus<br />

and Veolia’s Danish operations. Keolis<br />

is, through its Danish company City-Trafik,<br />

the second largest traffic company.<br />

MArKet – regIONAl trAFFIC<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s share of the market amounts to less<br />

than 5%, but is expected to increase during<br />

the next few years when one-fourth of traffic<br />

will be up for procurement.<br />

Quality is a more important factor than<br />

price in Denmark, which affects the format<br />

of the tender and is reflected in the rising bid<br />

prices. The Danish principals look favorably<br />

upon a development where traffic companies<br />

are more participatory in designing the product<br />

and receiving a larger share of the compensation.<br />

Many traffic areas have incentive<br />

agreements with the key factors being<br />

reduced emissions and more satisfied customers.<br />

In terms of indexation of compensation,<br />

that is working well in Denmark.<br />

Wages are regulated on a semiannual<br />

basis and other items such as fuel and<br />

maintenance on a monthly basis.<br />

HElb/cITy OF HElsINKI<br />

the City of Helsinki’s bus company, Helb, is one of the largest<br />

traffic companies in the Helsinki region but has no operations<br />

outside Finland.<br />

NETTbuss/Nsb<br />

the Norwegian state railway operator NSB owns Norway’s<br />

largest bus company Nettbuss. the company also has<br />

operations in Sweden (Orusttrafiken, Kr­trafik and Säfflebussen)<br />

and Denmark.<br />

TIDE<br />

tide is a listed company with operations in bus and boat<br />

transports in Norway. today, the company is active mainly<br />

in Bergen and Hordaland County.<br />

TORGHATTENGRuPPEN<br />

Since November 2008, torghattengruppen includes the<br />

listed company Fosen with the traffic company Norgesbuss.<br />

torghatten has no operations outside Norway.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 19


MArKet – INterregIONAl trAFFIC<br />

the market for interregional traffic<br />

through Swebus, <strong>Nobina</strong> is a profitable market leader in long distance bus<br />

traffic in Sweden. the market is mostly deregulated and offers major opportunities<br />

for individual traffic companies to tailor their offerings to customers.<br />

long distance bus travel is intensifying its competition with railways, which<br />

enjoy both great trust as well as performance challenges.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> defines interregional traffic as<br />

express traffic over distances greater than<br />

100 kilometers. In certain regions, interregional<br />

traffic is combined with regional or<br />

local public transport. In those instances, the<br />

public transport authorities compensate the<br />

bus companies for making a number of stops<br />

in proximity to a regular, local public transport<br />

bus route within a certain region.<br />

Conditions vary more among the Nordic<br />

countries than they do for regional traffic.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s interregional traffic operations are<br />

so far only offered in Sweden.<br />

FIERcE cOMPETITION<br />

The market for interregional traffic is usually<br />

deregulated, which means that traffic companies<br />

have full responsibility for all aspects of<br />

the service, including route planning, schedules<br />

and prices. There are no revenues from<br />

taxes or other traffic contracts with public<br />

principals. All revenue comes directly from<br />

passengers and offerings are based on a strong<br />

brand, a good product and efficient distribution.<br />

This can be compared with regional traffic,<br />

which is entirely regulated by the public<br />

principals that tender the service.<br />

A GROWING MARKET<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> estimates that the market for interregional<br />

traffic will continue to grow as more<br />

routes are developed. Above all young people,<br />

but also seniors and women are major traveler<br />

categories for interregional traffic. More<br />

passengers are coming to value the pricecompetitive<br />

service that buses have to offer<br />

compared to rail and air travel, costs savings<br />

for parking the car and not least of all the<br />

environmental aspects.<br />

20 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

While railways are the undisputed market<br />

leaders for interregional traffic and are growing<br />

faster than express bus traffic, the<br />

dynamic is expected to increase in the market.<br />

OTHER TyPEs OF INTERREGIONAl TRAVEl<br />

Commuter traffic is currently estimated to<br />

have limited opportunities for development<br />

since most traffic is publically financed and<br />

current regulations give traffic companies a<br />

right of refusal towards new establishments.<br />

The new public transport law that goes into<br />

effect in 2012 will change that, however.<br />

Special trips to various events is another<br />

niche market that is attracting more and<br />

more players and travelers. This can be everything<br />

from the Book Fair to the Reggae festival<br />

to the Vasaloppet ski race.<br />

Even airport transfer traffic is a growing<br />

market, not least due to environmental<br />

requirements and high parking fees.<br />

NOrDic OVErViEW<br />

sWEDEN<br />

The market for long distance traffic in Sweden<br />

was deregulated in 1999. Prior to that, SJ<br />

had the right to decline the opening of long<br />

distance traffic services if those services competed<br />

with the railway. Since then, however,<br />

relatively few players have entered the interregional<br />

traffic market in Sweden.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has a well functioning business<br />

model for interregional bus traffic through<br />

its market-leading Swebus, which offers<br />

scheduled interregional transport services.<br />

Swebus transported approximately 50% of<br />

all passengers who traveled long distances<br />

by bus in Sweden during <strong>2010</strong>. Number<br />

two in the market is Norwegian Nettbuss<br />

Express, with around one-fifth of the market<br />

and operations under the brands Bus4you<br />

and Gobybus. Third is Ybuss, with around<br />

7% of the market. The remaining portion is<br />

allocated among a number of smaller players.<br />

NORWAy<br />

The market for interregional traffic in Norway<br />

is dominated by NOR-WAY Bussekspress,<br />

a marketing company owned by 40 private<br />

traffic companies with approximately 3 million<br />

travelers annually during <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

One of the reasons for the higher penetration<br />

of interregional traffic services in Norway<br />

is that the railway system is not as built out<br />

as in Sweden.<br />

FINlAND<br />

The market for interregional traffic in Finland<br />

is dominated by two companies, Expressbus<br />

Yhteenliittymä and Oy Matkahuolto Ab.<br />

Certain routes in Finland – destinations<br />

departing from and traveling to medium sized<br />

cities – do not have efficient train connections,<br />

which explains the special position of long<br />

distance bus travel in the country.<br />

DENMARK<br />

Denmark is characterized by a limited selection<br />

of long distance buses, which are much<br />

smaller than in the other Nordic countries.<br />

Interregional traffic is dominated by Abildskov<br />

AS. The main reasons for this are a welldeveloped<br />

railway network, a small country<br />

and a population density that offers a good<br />

base for railways and public transport.


With the customer as the principal<br />

In the Interregional traffic, every krona earned comes directly from<br />

the passenger and the range is based on a strong brand, an excellent<br />

product and efficient distribution. Swebus continuously develops its<br />

offering to customers.<br />

AT THE FOREFRONT OF TEcHNOlOGy<br />

In june <strong>2010</strong>, Swebus was the first among express­coach<br />

companies to offer its customers the opportunity to purchase<br />

tickets via their mobile telephones. the bus tickets<br />

may be purchased via all types of mobile phones, either<br />

through a mobile application, or the website. Bank cards<br />

are used to pay for the tickets and redeemed on board<br />

the bus by scanning the bar code that is sent to the mobile<br />

telephone in connection with payment.<br />

»the digital channels are becoming increasingly important.<br />

today, approximately 70% of our tickets are purchased<br />

directly via the Internet. We have now taken another step<br />

by offering the opportunity to search and purchase trips via<br />

TOWARD HIGHER GOAls<br />

During <strong>2010</strong>, Swebus expanded its travel range and launched<br />

direct 35­minute trips between Arlanda and City terminal in<br />

Stockholm. the buses depart every 15 minutes during rush<br />

hour. the trip takes 35 minutes and connects to Swebus’<br />

other scheduled traffic at the City terminal.<br />

»More than 16 million passengers travel to and from<br />

Arlanda annually, and the forecast indicates that the figure<br />

will increase in the future. With Swebus Airport transfer,<br />

we will be competing for the growing market with such main<br />

competitors as Flygbussarna and Arlanda express,« says<br />

joakim palmkvist, Managing Director of Swebus.<br />

On board the Airport transfer, the Internet and morning<br />

newspapers will be available free of charge. the tickets are<br />

sold at pressbyrån, 7­eleven, in ticket machines at Arlanda<br />

and City terminal and on Swebus’ website.<br />

mobile telephones,« says Adam laurell, Business and<br />

Marketing Manager for Swebus.<br />

those who have tested Swebus’ services have been<br />

very satisfied and are often recurring users of the mobile<br />

platform. the objective is to be accessible, to a greater<br />

extent, where customers are. the challenge is to locate supplementary<br />

services that match Swebus’ products, and to<br />

cost­efficiently adapt to the safety requirements and the<br />

array of technical services that already exist in the market.<br />

»Swebus’ operation is completely market­driven, which is<br />

why we must continuously be at the forefront in the development<br />

of our offering to encourage customers to choose us ahead<br />

of the competitors,« says joakim palmkvist, Managing Director.<br />

Many of the air passengers live in the Stockholm region,<br />

but throughout Sweden, there is an expanding need for<br />

public transport to the country’s largest airports. Swebus<br />

will be first in the market to extend the bus journey from the<br />

airport to your home town. everyone living, for example, in<br />

Nyköping, linköping or Västervik will now be able to travel<br />

all the way to Arlanda with Swebus.<br />

»From Arlanda, we view the increase in public transport<br />

as highly positive. the airport’s role is to largely connect the<br />

regional public transport with global public transport. With<br />

more players, competition will increase, which will benefit passengers,«<br />

says jan lindqvist, Information Manager at Arlanda.<br />

the number of passengers rapidly exceeded expectations,<br />

which is why Swebus decided to increase the number of<br />

trips on the route at the beginning of summer.


NOBINA – the OperAtIONs<br />

Mission: to simplify everyday travel<br />

Anybody can drive a bus, but not everybody can combine quality and efficiency<br />

so the operations are profitable. <strong>Nobina</strong> has shown that it’s possible to improve<br />

the margins in a competitive industry – and implement changes. the key factors<br />

are experience, customer focus and efficiency.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is a modern company with clear<br />

values and effective process control. Operations<br />

are divided into two business areas:<br />

Regional and Interregional traffic. Regional<br />

traffic operations are conducted by the<br />

Group’s subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway,<br />

Finland and Denmark, while Swebus, which<br />

manages Interregional traffic, operates only<br />

in Sweden. The Group has more than 10,000<br />

employees who work with traffic planning,<br />

bus service and maintenance, sales and training,<br />

but the majority work as bus drivers.<br />

During recent years, <strong>Nobina</strong> has identified<br />

what is most important for the company to<br />

achieve its vision – “everybody wants to travel<br />

with us” – and initiated efforts to secure the<br />

quality and efficiency of the processes that<br />

will take the operations toward the vision.<br />

Customer-experienced quality and motivated<br />

employees are a core prerequisite. And in a<br />

competitive and deregulated market, it is even<br />

more important that <strong>Nobina</strong> is clear about<br />

what the company is and stands for.<br />

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL<br />

More than 90% of the Group’s revenues are<br />

attributable to contracts for bus traffic that<br />

are procured by publicly owned transport<br />

authorities in the Nordic market. The business<br />

model for regional passenger transport<br />

service is based on selecting attractive tenders<br />

that provide profitable operations. Attractive<br />

tenders can be won through comprehensive<br />

analyses, meticulous calculations and formulations<br />

of creative solutions, while the road to<br />

profitable operations goes through efficient<br />

traffic planning and operational control as<br />

well as flexible utilization of the Group’s<br />

buses. The contracts usually extend over<br />

22 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

5–8 years and most include an extension<br />

option that covers another 1–3 years. Payment<br />

is generally based on kilometers driven<br />

and/or hours and, in many cases, the number<br />

of buses in traffic, which generates stable revenue<br />

flows and low financial credit risk since<br />

the counterparties are public transport<br />

authorities. <strong>Nobina</strong> has historically won a<br />

high percentage of tenders and achieved<br />

significant success in efforts to impact the<br />

models that are used to index the revenues,<br />

thereby reducing the risk of imbalance<br />

between revenues received and actual costs.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> also has a successful business<br />

model for Interregional bus traffic through<br />

its operations within Swebus. The market for<br />

Interregional traffic in Sweden is deregulated,<br />

and every revenue krona (SEK) for<br />

the traffic company comes directly from the<br />

passengers, which requires a strong offering<br />

and effective distribution. Swebus is ranked<br />

highly by customers, offers its tickets<br />

through effective and accessible sales<br />

channels, has high brand recognition and<br />

accounted for more than 50% of long-<br />

distance travel in Sweden during <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

ACkNOwLEDgED MArkEt LEADEr<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is the market leader within public<br />

transport services by bus in the Nordic<br />

region. After 100 years in the market,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has extensive knowledge, a proven<br />

business model and a strong market position<br />

– factors that are valuable in the ongoing<br />

restructuring of the industry.<br />

New legislation governing public transports<br />

in Sweden will take effect in January<br />

2012, with a more clearly defined customer<br />

perspective and greater responsibility – and,<br />

in turn, propelling force – for the traffic<br />

company. In the rest of the Nordic region,<br />

a growing number of traffic sectors are also<br />

opening up for public procurements as the<br />

present concession agreements are terminated<br />

in compliance with pertinent EU<br />

directives. <strong>Nobina</strong> has the right position and<br />

adequate size to become a leading force in<br />

the market’s continued restructuring.<br />

StrONg CUStOMEr FOCUS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s business concept is to simplify<br />

everyday travel for its customers, including<br />

both Regional traffic under contract from<br />

municipalities with public transport authorities<br />

and Interregional traffic for customers in<br />

a free market. The operations, therefore, are<br />

characterized by strong customer focus and<br />

close cooperation with public authorities and<br />

politicians at the national and local levels as<br />

part of efforts to offer an attractive product<br />

to all business interests, which is a key factor<br />

for <strong>Nobina</strong>’s customers, principals, owners,<br />

society in general, employees and partners.<br />

Within its contract traffic operations,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> maintains a close dialogue with the<br />

public transport authority, working together<br />

to improve the travel experience for the customer.<br />

Contracts usually extend over a<br />

period of several years and, therefore, close<br />

and goal-oriented programs of cooperation<br />

that begin before contracts are even awarded,<br />

can lead to significant improvements with<br />

regard to everything from more passengers<br />

to better traffic solutions and more advantageous<br />

contract models.<br />

The Interregional traffic is completely<br />

customer-controlled and, within Swebus,<br />

there are established channels to monitor the


Strong cuStomer focuS<br />

SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS MODEL<br />

Acknowledged market leader<br />

Comprehensive traffic planning expertise<br />

optimal bus management<br />

value-driven organization<br />

AttrActive employer<br />

effective recruitment management<br />

responsible social player


NOBINA – the OperAtIONs<br />

» By optimizing its bus fleet, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

can operate traffic profitably.<br />

market’s needs. The offering of traffic, destinations<br />

and ticket prices is controlled by<br />

demand, and the offering is continuously<br />

developed through new payment solutions,<br />

for example, event transports, airport transfer<br />

traffic and different forms of service.<br />

With its flexibility and new schools of<br />

thought, Swebus is always quick to offer<br />

alternative transports in conjunction with<br />

disruptions in traffic.<br />

COMPrEHENSIVE trAFFIC PLANNINg SkILLS<br />

A profitable traffic contract is based on<br />

meticulous planning and resource-effective<br />

implementation. The work involved in preparing<br />

a tender is started as early as 1–2 years<br />

before the procurement procedure is initiated<br />

by the principal. During the early<br />

stages, <strong>Nobina</strong> conducts in-depth dialogues<br />

with the principal, industrial organization,<br />

employees and customers in order to analyze<br />

existing conditions for traffic patterns and<br />

potential market needs. The tender planning<br />

personnel study infrastructure, test drive the<br />

routes and review present and possible depot<br />

alternatives. The goal is to offer an attractive,<br />

profitable and realistic traffic solution for both<br />

the short and long-term.<br />

Contracts extend over several years and<br />

continuous development work is conducted<br />

in close cooperation with the principals and<br />

employee representatives to optimize schedules,<br />

traffic routes and customer offerings,<br />

with due consideration for profitability and<br />

drive-ability. The traffic planners and traffic<br />

managers are responsible for the formulation<br />

of solutions that enable traffic to move effectively<br />

and minimize empty traffic routes, for<br />

example to and from depots and waiting<br />

times and distances between transport service.<br />

All employees are encouraged to contrib-<br />

24 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

ute to the development work, and there are<br />

established channels for suggestions, opinions<br />

and procedures for these referrals.<br />

OPtIMAL BUS MANAgEMENt<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is the only traffic company in the<br />

Nordic market with its own centralized<br />

management of buses. Through efforts to<br />

optimize the bus fleet from a Group perspective,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is able to improve its potential<br />

to win tenders and conduct profitable traffic<br />

operations. The goal is to continuously<br />

reduce expenses for buses, which account for<br />

about 10% of the Group’s total expenses.<br />

In <strong>2010</strong>, the bus fleet consisted of 3,618<br />

buses, comprising 648 buses owned by<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, 1,494 buses leased through operational<br />

contracts and 1,476 buses leased<br />

through financial contracts. More than 99%<br />

of the buses operate in traffic within the<br />

framework of contract traffic or through<br />

leasing to Swebus. When a bus is no longer<br />

needed in a contract, it can be transferred to<br />

another contract, sold or scrapped. External<br />

rentals are used in exceptional cases, usually<br />

pending a redistribution of the buses. During<br />

fiscal year <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> bought<br />

395 buses and sold 330, which is slightly<br />

higher than the normal reinvestment level<br />

of about 260 buses.<br />

Selections of new buses are extremely<br />

important in optimizing the fleet of vehicles<br />

and improving resource efficiency. Standardized<br />

buses provide broader areas of application<br />

within the Group. The traffic contracts<br />

specify everything from size, disposition and<br />

appearance to environmental standards and<br />

average age, and vary from one traffic region<br />

to another. This limits opportunities to completely<br />

standardize the entire bus fleet. In<br />

parallel with deregulation of the Nordic<br />

market, opportunities are increasing to adapt<br />

the bus fleet based on market needs, longterm<br />

function and cost-optimization, rather<br />

than short-term formal demands from each<br />

individual principal.<br />

The Group’s buses have a replacement<br />

value of approximately SEK 4.6 billion and<br />

a depreciation period up to 14 years. The<br />

average age of the bus fleet today is 6.2 years,<br />

compared with the target age of seven years.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s success in optimizing the bus<br />

fleet depends on demands imposed on the<br />

buses by principals, <strong>Nobina</strong>’s foresight in<br />

traffic planning in tenders and current contracts<br />

and how well the buses are serviced<br />

and maintained in everyday operations. Last<br />

but not least, the financial solution is critical<br />

for bus management in terms of structure,<br />

control and follow-up.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> prioritizes financial leasing<br />

agreements that optimize the cash flow<br />

from bus financing in parallel with contract<br />

payments in the most beneficial manner.<br />

New regulations and reporting of operational<br />

leasing agreements are expected to<br />

be introduced during the summer of <strong>2011</strong>,<br />

which means that operationally leased fixed<br />

assets must be reported as assets in the<br />

consolidated balance sheet.


three ways to a better future<br />

the path to profitability begins with the bus. everything from traffic planning and<br />

operation to driving style and service affects the margins. the more efficient the traffic<br />

production, the better it is for the environment and wallet. And, the better the margins,<br />

the better equipped <strong>Nobina</strong> is able to invest in eco-friendly measures and increased<br />

customer benefits. In order to realize this, <strong>Nobina</strong> has been implementing extensive<br />

and systematic improvements for many years.<br />

INCrEASED CUStOMEr BENEFItS<br />

to achieve continuous improvement requires a strong<br />

commitment. And, to implement change, it is crucial to begin<br />

at the right end and take one step at a time. During <strong>2010</strong>,<br />

15 improvement groups in the Nacka/Värmdö traffic area<br />

outside stockholm chose to focus on various ways by<br />

which to boost the travel experience for the customer.<br />

»the goal is to increase the satisfied Customer Index (sCI)<br />

from 67% in April to 75% in December. the improvement<br />

groups accomplished this by asking customers about their<br />

travel experiences, improving driving styles, punctuality<br />

and buses,« says Annika Kolmert, head of the management<br />

system in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group.<br />

One of the most important viewpoints from the survey<br />

pertained to drivers' information about traffic disruptions.<br />

since the information was perceived as unclear and difficult<br />

to hear, the improvement groups prepared new information<br />

manuals, reviewed the public address microphones and<br />

conducted exercises in microphone techniques. In addition,<br />

the buses were improved more rapidly thanks to daily<br />

inspections, new procedures for damage reporting and<br />

better planning.<br />

»the various groups chose separate focus areas and the<br />

travel experience was jointly improved as a whole. In February<br />

<strong>2011</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> achieved 77% sCI – the highest ranking ever<br />

despite a very difficult winter,« says Annika Kolmert.<br />

BEttEr ENVIrONMENt<br />

In this precise instance, the improvement groups focused<br />

on the work environment in the buses, but <strong>Nobina</strong> has long<br />

been conducting extensive work to reduce the total environmental<br />

impact of the operation. In 2007, <strong>Nobina</strong> developed<br />

a proprietary concept called The Green Journey. using technical<br />

equipment in the bus, software, driver’s training, individual<br />

support and monitoring by an environmental coach,<br />

the driver is given the opportunity to drive as eco-friendly<br />

as possible.<br />

»On the bus, there’s a computer that monitors my driving.<br />

I have learned to drive in a completely different manner to<br />

reduce emissions and not over-consume fuel, for example,<br />

by releasing the accelerator earlier and instead rolling forward<br />

as far as possible. throughout the journey, I receive continuous<br />

information on my driving via a handheld computer, which is<br />

highly supportive. I usually read the driving report after the<br />

trip,« says Marita Bergström, green driver at <strong>Nobina</strong> sandviken.<br />

planning the journey better will reduce emissions of carbon<br />

dioxide and other environmental and hazardous substances,<br />

while wear on roads, brakes, tires and other parts of<br />

the bus is diminished. In addition, traffic safety will increase;<br />

the work environment and customers will be more satisfied.<br />

»some drivers rapidly achieve a fuel reduction of 10–15%.<br />

All in all, the fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions<br />

reduced by 5–7% in the areas on which we are focusing,«<br />

says Anna Jonasson, project Manager at <strong>Nobina</strong>.<br />

IMPrOVED PrOFIt<strong>AB</strong>ILIty<br />

In traffic planning, a successful method is applied called<br />

Business & Planning, which is based on reviewing all areas<br />

of planning work to identify business opportunities and<br />

increase customer time - the proportion of traffic with<br />

customers on board. this is one of five sub-projects in the<br />

comprehensive activity, Efficient Time.<br />

By systematically reviewing the daily procedures together<br />

with operating managers and operating personnel, economic<br />

potential and commercial terms are identified for specific<br />

work tasks such as depot logistics, timetabling, idling and<br />

vehicle service.<br />

In parallel with Business & Planning, the sub-project Personnel<br />

Planning was launched. the aim was to increase personnel<br />

planners' knowledge and awareness of how they can<br />

reduce costs in daily operations to minimize overtime and<br />

undertime, so-called lost hours. Business & Planning has<br />

been successfully applied in sweden for several years and<br />

was introduced in Norway in <strong>2010</strong>. the Norwegian operation<br />

saved NOK 2.2 million in <strong>2010</strong> by applying this approach.


NOBINA – OrGANIzAtION AND OperAtIONs CONtrOl<br />

strong corporate culture and distinct values<br />

Being a company with clear values is becoming an increasingly important<br />

competitive factor. Delegated leadership in a value-driven organization with<br />

a focus on personal interaction between manager and employee creates<br />

involvement – a requirement for success.<br />

St<strong>AB</strong>LE OrgANIzAtION<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s strength lies in its flat organization,<br />

with local decision forces in each traffic area.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> currently has 59 traffic areas, with<br />

operations in 35 districts. Each traffic area<br />

is led and controlled by a traffic manager,<br />

with a local management group. The traffic<br />

manager is responsible for the business and<br />

is responsible for the budget in his/her traffic<br />

area. The drivers are divided into smaller<br />

groups with one operations leader as the<br />

Employees<br />

Areas of expertise<br />

Employee distribution by country<br />

Men 85% (85)<br />

Women 15% (15)<br />

Drivers and driver<br />

administration<br />

91.5% (91.2)<br />

Workshops 4.3% (5)<br />

executive management,<br />

sales, market,<br />

hr and other 3.6% (2.8)<br />

traffic planning<br />

0.6% (1)<br />

sweden 70.8% (80.3) *<br />

Denmark 4.9% (2.5)<br />

Norway 12.8% (7.4)<br />

Finland 11.5% (9.8)<br />

* Includes 5,097 employees in <strong>Nobina</strong> sweden and 204 in swebus.<br />

26 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

immediate manager. Independent traffic<br />

areas generate excellent customer relationships<br />

and strengthen local commitment<br />

and responsibility.<br />

At the beginning of the year, a reorganization<br />

was implemented from geographic to<br />

business area control. The goal is to create<br />

a more efficient organization and achieve a<br />

larger interchange of expertise between<br />

the Group’s operational areas in the<br />

Nordic region.<br />

noBinA�S vAlueS<br />

wE ArE<br />

AVAIL<strong>AB</strong>LE FOr<br />

OUr CUStOMErS<br />

wE CONtINU-<br />

OUSLy PUrSUE<br />

DEVELOPMENt<br />

wE rESPECt<br />

EACH OtHEr<br />

wE FOStEr<br />

StrONg<br />

LEADErSHIP<br />

AttrACtIVE EMPLOyEr<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> strives to become the most attractive<br />

employer in the industry. It is particularly<br />

important when recruiting new and younger<br />

bus drivers. Accordingly, the company works<br />

continuously to develop committed and<br />

motivated employees and has noted better<br />

results in its employee surveys.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is the only employer in the industry<br />

to offer systematic training, monitoring<br />

and feedback to all employees. All employees<br />

We are receptive to our customers� needs and greet<br />

customers in a friendly and respectful manner. We keep<br />

our promises, develop economical solutions and make<br />

things easy for our customers.<br />

We achieve our goals and deliver results. We are<br />

resource-efficient and maintain the promised quality<br />

at the very least. We work with target management<br />

and systematic follow-ups to continuously improve the<br />

company and our services.<br />

We safeguard equality and treat each other in a friendly<br />

and respectful manner. together, we create a safe and<br />

creative workplace environment that promotes initiatives<br />

and proposals for improvement. We react to a lack<br />

of respect for customers, each other and the company.<br />

We impose well-defined requirements on our managers<br />

and employees. We place the customers� and company�s<br />

interests ahead of our own. We promote boundless<br />

partnerships. We provide feedback on completed work<br />

and recognize achievements. We can handle the trust.<br />

wE CArE We take active responsibility for the environment and<br />

society. We encourage health and personal development.<br />

We comply with laws and regulations. We are<br />

committed and care about each other, our customers<br />

and our community.


eceive, for example, annual developmental<br />

talks, competency development and individual<br />

goals. The training occurs on various<br />

levels – both locally in each traffic area and<br />

centrally in the Group.<br />

Another key issue is management development.<br />

In the coming year, <strong>Nobina</strong> will continue<br />

to increase managers’ ability to motivate<br />

and involve employees and thus increase<br />

the total commitment and development in<br />

the company. The <strong>Nobina</strong> Academy and<br />

driving school will be supplemented with<br />

courses in leadership and common work<br />

methods.<br />

Being a company with distinct values will<br />

be an increasingly important competitive<br />

factor. This was proven when <strong>Nobina</strong>, in<br />

two major contract extensions, was recommended<br />

by the union representatives thanks<br />

to employee policies. During <strong>2011</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

launched a work manual for employees in<br />

cooperation with Kommunal trade union.<br />

It is unique in the industry for a traffic company<br />

to launch a document jointly with a<br />

trade union, and an indication that <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

is being increasingly perceived as an attractive<br />

employer and cooperation partner.<br />

Another confirmation of <strong>Nobina</strong>’s progressive<br />

work is that the company’s HR Director<br />

was nominated as HR Manager of the Year<br />

in <strong>2010</strong> at the Swedish Competence Gala<br />

in Stockholm.<br />

DIStINCt VALUES<br />

Everyone working at <strong>Nobina</strong>, regardless of<br />

position, must be able to identify with the<br />

values that are the basis for the daily work at<br />

the Group. Each management, local and<br />

central, has the task of keeping value issues<br />

alive by including these as a distinct item on<br />

the agenda. The values are also followed-up<br />

in developmental talks with employees.<br />

EFFICIENt OPErAtIONAL CONtrOL<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has an overall and systematic way of<br />

managing the operations. The aim of the<br />

management system is to achieve improved<br />

financial results and more satisfied customers.<br />

The method is to have distinct and<br />

detailed operational descriptions about the<br />

company’s various functions, with the aim of<br />

distributing and spreading successful work<br />

methods throughout the entire Group. This<br />

could pertain to checking and parking buses,<br />

greeting new customers on the bus and handling<br />

the microphone.<br />

The work methods are based on central<br />

goals and action plans for continuing operations.<br />

A number of process teams, comprising<br />

employees from various sections of the<br />

operation, agree on a suitable work method<br />

that is formulated into specific instructions<br />

in a joint policy document. The instructions<br />

are applied and followed-up within the<br />

framework of quality control and the<br />

established goals.<br />

During improvement days, a team of<br />

improvement leaders will visit the various<br />

traffic areas to review the practical functioning<br />

of the formulated work methods. Feedback<br />

is conducted to the traffic area manager,<br />

who is responsible for implementing<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s organization structure<br />

NOBINA<br />

SwEDEN<br />

NOBINA – OrGANIzAtION AND OperAtIONs CONtrOl<br />

regional<br />

traffic business<br />

area<br />

NOBINA<br />

DENMArk<br />

measures where shortcomings were identified.<br />

The improvement leaders are also<br />

responsible for following-up results and<br />

ensuring that the changes are implemented.<br />

In five traffic areas in Sweden, there are<br />

improvement groups that jointly conduct<br />

local quality projects. Each operational<br />

leader must have at least one improvement<br />

group with representatives from the various<br />

operational functions. During <strong>2011</strong>, the<br />

work methods will increase from the current<br />

five traffic areas to ten in Sweden, while the<br />

work method will be disseminated to the<br />

other countries of operation.<br />

Improvement coaches are responsible for<br />

initiating the improvement work in the traffic<br />

areas and leading them forward by active<br />

coaching at operational meetings and management<br />

meetings. During <strong>2010</strong>, there were<br />

six trained improvement coaches in Sweden<br />

and two in Norway. During <strong>2011</strong>, an additional<br />

six coaches will be trained, four in<br />

Sweden and two in Finland.<br />

NOBINA<br />

NOrwAy<br />

NOBINA <strong>AB</strong><br />

NOBINA<br />

FINLAND<br />

grOUP<br />

FUNCtION<br />

Interregional<br />

traffic business<br />

area<br />

SwEBUS<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 27


NOBINA – respONsIBIlItY<br />

responsible for the environment and<br />

safety – a part of our mission<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s business concept is based on responsibility – for the environment and safety,<br />

for employees and customers. As interest in sustainability issues increases, more and<br />

more people are choosing to travel on public transport, and the more skilled <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

becomes at taking care of the environment by having filled buses and more beneficial<br />

driving, the better the Group’s margins. responsibility is profitable.<br />

PrINCIPLE – ENVIrONMENt AND SAFEty<br />

ArE A NAtUrAL AND PrOFIt<strong>AB</strong>LE PArt<br />

OF OUr BUSINESS CONCEPt<br />

The environment, safety and quality are the<br />

most important areas of responsibility for<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, and these three issues have a highly<br />

natural correlation. The more people that<br />

travel by public transport, the better it is for<br />

the environment. And the better the quality<br />

and the higher the safety that <strong>Nobina</strong> offers<br />

on its trips, the more people will want to<br />

travel collectively with <strong>Nobina</strong>. The company<br />

works actively, systematically and integrated<br />

with these matters, accordingly, with<br />

a goal to be one of the most environmentally<br />

compatible alternatives for public transports<br />

and long-distance bus travel.<br />

As a Nordic market leader in public transports<br />

by bus, <strong>Nobina</strong> has significant opportunities<br />

to impact the environment in a positive<br />

manner. In traffic, not only new fuels but also<br />

new technologies, effective maintenance and<br />

economic driving contribute to increased<br />

sustainability. The greatest environmental<br />

advantage, however, is created through fully<br />

occupied buses. It is also more profitable,<br />

which creates opportunities for additional<br />

efforts focused on sustainability. Environmental<br />

questions are coordinated with the development<br />

of processes, services and quality<br />

issues so that long-term value is created for<br />

all interests.<br />

PrIOrItIzINg – grEAtESt rISk FIrSt<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s safety policy states that the company<br />

should be a role model for traffic.<br />

A high level of safety is fundamental to the<br />

entire company’s traffic and all other opera-<br />

28 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

tional activities. Punctuality is a key parameter<br />

for the everyday bus trip, but safety and<br />

security have the highest priority, even<br />

higher than comfort convenience. Safety<br />

work is conducted systematically and integrated<br />

with other areas of business operations.<br />

A Group-wide safety council was<br />

established in 2008.<br />

In the long-term perspective, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

needs to utilize its resources in the best possible<br />

way in order to be competitive and limit<br />

its impact on the environment. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

reviews its environmental and safety goals at<br />

least once a year when the business plan is<br />

updated. Continuous environmental audits<br />

are conducted to analyze the company’s<br />

environmental work and its results.<br />

In Norway and Finland, <strong>Nobina</strong> has held<br />

ISO 14001 certification for several years. In<br />

the Swedish market, work is now in progress<br />

to certify <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden’s environmentalmanagement<br />

system under the same standard.<br />

All traffic areas in Stockholm were certified<br />

during <strong>2010</strong>. Swebus, with its focus on<br />

the consumer market, has opted instead to<br />

meet the standards of the Swedish Society<br />

for Nature Conservation’s Good Environmental<br />

Choice labeling. At the beginning<br />

of <strong>2011</strong>, Swebus was named Sweden’s third<br />

best traffic company in terms of environmental<br />

work and social responsibility, by the<br />

Sustainable Brands trademark survey. The<br />

survey asked consumers to rank the most<br />

sustainable brands in the Swedish market,<br />

based on the UN’s Global Compact, which<br />

addresses corporate responsibility for the<br />

environment, human rights, collective bargaining<br />

and suppression of corruption.<br />

In 2008, the Environmental Council was<br />

formed comprising the environmental managers<br />

of the Group’s various companies. The<br />

aim was to contribute to formulating, communications<br />

and establishing environmental<br />

objectives that reflect more clearly <strong>Nobina</strong>’s<br />

ambitions in this area and create effective<br />

procedures for this program throughout the<br />

Group. Work was also started to review the<br />

environmental issues faced by the operations,<br />

which included an extensive survey<br />

and a series of investments in proprietary<br />

depots throughout the Nordic region. Group<br />

management decided on an aggregate list of<br />

157 environmental aspects, translated them<br />

into environmental risks and resolved on a<br />

prioritization of the five greatest risks: energy<br />

consumption at the depots, environmental<br />

requirements in conjunction with purchase,<br />

environmental expertise in the organization,<br />

the utilization of fuel for vehicles and particle<br />

emissions. The UN framework convention<br />

for environmental impact establishes<br />

that greenhouse gases are not permitted to<br />

increase in a manner that makes them harmful<br />

to the environment. Sweden, for example,<br />

has a national environmental objective stating<br />

that average emissions between 2008 and<br />

2012 should be 4% lower than emissions in<br />

1990. Similar targets have been established<br />

for particles that are harmful to inhale and<br />

that are found on the road.


SOMEONE<br />

ELSE'S DAy<br />

FrAMVAGNsVINJett<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 29


NOBINA – respONsIBIlItY<br />

» the public transport concept is based<br />

on public social value and sustainability.<br />

environmentAl StrAtegy<br />

– A HoliStic perSpective<br />

tECHNICAL tOOLS<br />

Modern buses<br />

There are both clear operational goals and<br />

economic incentives for efforts to reduce fuel<br />

consumption. The choice of buses is a factor<br />

that controls fuel consumption, along with<br />

the choice of fuels and driving style. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

buys – and sells – more buses than any other<br />

player in the Nordic region. Environmentally<br />

compatible purchases are gaining<br />

greater attention in discussions with public<br />

transport authorities and suppliers. During<br />

the past fiscal year, the company acquired<br />

395 new buses, the majority of which are<br />

compliant with the latest eco-classification,<br />

Euro standard 5.<br />

Renewable fuel<br />

The bus transport industry organization in<br />

Sweden has established goals for energy consumption<br />

that correspond with political<br />

objectives. By 2012, 40% of traffic will be<br />

operated by vehicles that use renewable fuel<br />

and the percentage will increase to 90% by<br />

2020. To meet these goals, and demands by<br />

public transport authorities, traffic companies<br />

must initiate efforts very soon to<br />

increase their percentage of renewable fuel.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, accordingly, is intensifying its skills<br />

development in the area defined as fuels of<br />

the future.<br />

In different cooperation projects with bus<br />

manufacturers and public transport authorities,<br />

several alternative fuels are now being<br />

evaluated, such as natural gas and biogas in<br />

Skåne, rapeseed-based RME in Uppland and<br />

ethanol in Dalarna and Stockholm. In the<br />

Stockholm area, the first electric-hybrid<br />

buses for the Swedish market are being evaluated<br />

by <strong>Nobina</strong>, Scania and SL. <strong>Nobina</strong> is<br />

30 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

also conducting a project in Uppsala in<br />

cooperation with the Uppsala transport<br />

authority, Scandinavian Biogas and Biogas<br />

Öst, whereby two different diesel buses have<br />

been converted for liquid biogas-powered<br />

operations. A premier showing of the new<br />

buses in the Dual Fuel Project was held<br />

on May 25, <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

Measureable driving<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden has developed a concept to<br />

provide driver training focused on greater<br />

environmental consideration; the concept<br />

is called The Green Journey. Measurement<br />

equipment is installed on every bus to monitor<br />

how well the driver succeeds in efforts<br />

to drive with greater eco-consideration by<br />

registering fuel consumption, acceleration<br />

and braking, etc. The data is then reviewed<br />

by the traffic region’s environmental coach,<br />

who discusses the results with the drivers<br />

every month. Analyses have shown that fuel<br />

consumption has declined 5–7%, resulting<br />

in reduced emissions of carbon dioxide.<br />

Every driver’s individual efforts are secured<br />

in a manner that is unprecedented in the<br />

bus industry.<br />

HUMAN ACHIEVEMENtS<br />

Smart traffic planning<br />

In addition to getting more people to choose<br />

buses as their mode of transportation, the<br />

most important contribution <strong>Nobina</strong> can<br />

make to the environment is to drive fullyoccupied<br />

buses. <strong>Nobina</strong> buses drive a total<br />

distance every day that corresponds to 15<br />

trips around the world. This means that<br />

every kilometer or minute that a bus drives<br />

without passengers is negative both for the<br />

economy and the environment. Therefore,<br />

smart traffic planning is an important tool<br />

for reducing emissions. Optimized schedules<br />

that minimize lost time and idling also help<br />

to reduce the environmental impact. With<br />

minimum distances between bus garages<br />

and their first stop, the environmental<br />

finger print can be reduced even more. Idling<br />

declined somewhat during the year to 28.9%<br />

of driving time compared with 29.0% the<br />

preceding year.<br />

OPtIMIzINg tHE BUS FLEEt<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> initiated a research project in 2007<br />

in cooperation with the University of<br />

Linköping to evaluate the environmental<br />

effects of alternative procurement models<br />

that would enable the traffic company itself<br />

to plan its resource utilization in relation to<br />

actual needs. The results that were presented<br />

in <strong>2010</strong> indicate that emissions can be<br />

reduced by almost half by using smaller<br />

buses in traffic, or by combining sizes, and<br />

that costs in a worst-case scenario would<br />

increase 10%. The project also identified<br />

opportunities to reduce costs through<br />

improved planning parameters. This could<br />

be achieved by expanding the planning area,<br />

for example, to take better advantage of<br />

coordination effects and economies of scale.<br />

However, this would be contingent on<br />

greater freedom for the traffic companies<br />

than is permitted by today’s procurement<br />

regulations for bus transports, such as allowing<br />

the traffic companies to decide which<br />

types of buses should travel the routes at<br />

different times on different days.<br />

A growing number of public transport<br />

authorities are allowing traffic companies<br />

to take part in formulating traffic solutions<br />

based on market needs. The most recent<br />

example occurred when SL granted <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

permission to control the selection of buses<br />

for Norrtälje traffic, for which the company<br />

chose double-decker buses that each accommodate<br />

85 passengers.


Increased knowledge<br />

Particle emissions comprise an area in which<br />

vehicle suppliers, traffic companies and<br />

researchers all need to increase their knowledge.<br />

Observations and experience are partly<br />

contradictory and closer cooperation is<br />

needed between the parties to resolve the<br />

problem. Several measures implemented by<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> are increasing the Group’s environmental<br />

skills. The work extends through<br />

driver training focused on economical driving,<br />

such as driving empty buses and idling,<br />

to special courses for employees in the workshops<br />

and traffic management that are<br />

focused on environmental awareness and<br />

economical utilization of energy, water,<br />

cleaning agents and chemicals in conjunction<br />

with service. The environmental aspect<br />

should be considered in every employee’s<br />

everyday work routines – from recruitment<br />

to skills analyses and development talks.<br />

Regularly scheduled proprietary controls<br />

and internal audits are used to evaluate the<br />

success of these efforts.<br />

SAfety StrAtegy – tHe<br />

HigHeSt priority<br />

The active safety work includes studies and<br />

analyses of threats or violence to customers<br />

or Group employees and different traffic<br />

incidents. A computer system developed inhouse<br />

processes the information and contributes<br />

to the development of a safe and secure<br />

environment in which traffic operates efficiently<br />

without disruptions.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has received awards for its Swedish<br />

traffic-safety program, which includes<br />

several thousand proprietary speed controls<br />

and has resulted in reduced speeds. The<br />

buses are serviced every 20,000 kilometers<br />

and have achieved the industry’s best results<br />

in annual vehicle inspections for the past two<br />

years. Every bus is also subject to a daily<br />

29-point safety check that is performed<br />

before entering service for the day.<br />

For the past two years, the Swedish safety<br />

department has organized “safety days” in<br />

all traffic areas. The program provides a type<br />

of method support, but also an opportunity<br />

to examine the functionality of safety procedures.<br />

Starting in <strong>2011</strong>, this mode of operations<br />

will also be introduced in Norway,<br />

Finland and Denmark.<br />

Accidents will happen nevertheless, as well<br />

as acts of vandalism. Every company and<br />

traffic area in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group has a contingency<br />

plan that can be mobilized quickly<br />

in crisis situations. Each company follows a<br />

Group-wide crisis plan that is activated in<br />

the event of serious incidents, such as accidents<br />

resulting in personal injury or major<br />

material damage. The crisis plan describes<br />

how impacted functions, from bus drivers to<br />

operations management and central crisis<br />

control, shall perform during a crisis and/or<br />

accident occurrence, as well as procedures<br />

NOBINA – respONsIBIlItY<br />

for internal and external communications.<br />

To ensure the crisis plan’s functionality and<br />

utilization, Group companies and traffic<br />

areas’ conduct crisis drills at least twice a year.<br />

tHe green Journey<br />

» local practical training in<br />

eco-friendly driving<br />

>> Maintain an adequate distance<br />

>> Avoid unnecessary stops<br />

>> Coast more<br />

>> Brake less frequently<br />

>> stay within the speed limits<br />

>> Drive more smoothly<br />

>> Allow speed to decrease when<br />

driving uphill<br />

>> Coast when driving downhill<br />

>> Avoid idling<br />

Emissions, tons <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 2009/<strong>2010</strong><br />

Carbon dioxides 250,691 252,022<br />

Nitrogen oxides 1,366 1,487<br />

particulates 7.8 10<br />

hydrocarbons 17.5 18<br />

Marita Bergström,<br />

green driver at <strong>Nobina</strong>, Sandviken:<br />

– On the bus, there’s a computer that monitors my<br />

driving. I have learned to drive in a completely different<br />

manner to reduce emissions and not over-consume<br />

fuel, for example, by releasing the accelerator earlier<br />

and instead rolling forward as far as possible. throughout<br />

the journey, I receive continuous information on my<br />

driving via a handheld computer, which is highly supportive.<br />

I usually read the driving report after the trip.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 31


det här är NOBINA<br />

Spicing up the day<br />

32 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>


egional traffic contract portfolio<br />

hIStOrICAl teNder OVerVIeW SAleS per yeAr By CONtrACt term<br />

Number of buses<br />

3,500<br />

3,000<br />

2,500<br />

2,000<br />

1,500<br />

1,000<br />

500<br />

0<br />

07/08<br />

08/09<br />

09/10<br />

10/11<br />

Forecast<br />

11/12<br />

Procured buses, previously under the direction of other actors<br />

Procured buses, previously under the direction of <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Number of buses won by <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

number<br />

of buses<br />

Regional traffic nobina<br />

Sales<br />

SeK M<br />

Operating<br />

profit, SeK M<br />

Market share<br />

tendered traffic<br />

Sweden 2,486 4,459 242 30%<br />

denmark 151 323 –53 4%<br />

norway 451 783 21 17%<br />

Finland 440 756 7 32%<br />

total 3,528 6,321 217 21%<br />

Share of <strong>Nobina</strong> 94% 94%<br />

CONtrACt OVerVIeW, NeXt 12 mONthS<br />

tender outcome<br />

by country<br />

public transport<br />

authority<br />

planned traffic starts March <strong>2011</strong> – February 2012<br />

contract<br />

type<br />

SEK M<br />

6,000<br />

5,000<br />

4,000<br />

3,000<br />

2,000<br />

1,000<br />

no. of years<br />

(plus option years)<br />

traffic<br />

start<br />

number<br />

of buses<br />

3 500<br />

3 000<br />

2 500<br />

2 000<br />

1 500<br />

1 000<br />

500<br />

BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

0<br />

Full year 06/07Full<br />

year 07/08Full<br />

08/09 year Full 09/10 year<br />

17/18 18/19 19/20 20/21<br />

Value<br />

(SeK M)<br />

Sweden Skånetrafiken City 8 (2) march, <strong>2011</strong> 89 1,752<br />

Östgötatrafiken regional 5 June, <strong>2011</strong> 34 346<br />

upplands lokaltrafik regional 1 (1) June, <strong>2011</strong> 130 450<br />

Västtrafik GO regional 8 (2) June, <strong>2011</strong> 6 140<br />

Västtrafik GO express 8 (2) June, <strong>2011</strong> 23 490<br />

Skånetrafiken regional 4 (2) June, <strong>2011</strong> 6 72<br />

Skånetrafiken regional 8 (2) June, <strong>2011</strong> 5 96<br />

Sl, Stockholm regional 8 (2) June, <strong>2011</strong> 83 1,540<br />

municipality of hagfors School bus 3 (1) August, <strong>2011</strong> 2 7<br />

Skånetrafiken regional 8 (2) October, <strong>2011</strong> 4 80<br />

Skånetrafiken regional 1 October, <strong>2011</strong> 33 59<br />

norway Vestfold regional 3 January, 2012 83 313<br />

Finland hSl City 1 August, <strong>2011</strong> 6 10<br />

total Regional traffic 504 5,355<br />

Full year<br />

10/11<br />

Full year<br />

11/12<br />

Full year<br />

12/13<br />

Full year<br />

13/14<br />

Full year<br />

14/15<br />

Full year<br />

15/16<br />

Full year<br />

16/17<br />

Sales per year available through option extension of contract<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 33<br />

10/11


NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden<br />

As Sweden’s largest provider of public bus services, <strong>Nobina</strong> actively participates<br />

in efforts to double the number of passengers. during the year, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

gained a stronger foothold in malmö, Gothenburg and Norrköping – cities of<br />

strategic interest with major growth potential. At the same time, the company<br />

won an important, pioneering contract in Norrtälje, which gives <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

the possibility to form and manage the entire customer offering, and thereby<br />

influence travel and profitability.<br />

Sales 4,459 SeK M (4,227)<br />

Operating profit 242 SeK M (205)<br />

market share 30%<br />

Number of<br />

passengers 200 million<br />

Average number<br />

of employees 6,099 (8,363)<br />

Number of buses 2,486<br />

millions of kilometers<br />

traveled 176.8<br />

New/expired<br />

contracts 11/7<br />

Share of group<br />

sales<br />

(67%)<br />

66.6%<br />

34 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

deVeLOpMent duRing the yeaR<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden increased sales by 5.4%<br />

to SEK 4,459 million in <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> and<br />

improved profitability at the operating profit<br />

level by 18% to SEK 242 million. The fiscal<br />

year began and was concluded with abnormally<br />

cold, snowy weather that increased the<br />

costs for fuel, maintenance, damage,<br />

employees and properties. This was partially<br />

compensated by lower fuel consumption.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden is working to find alternative<br />

fuel solutions for greater flexibility in the<br />

event of price increases. The three-year wage<br />

agreement that expires in <strong>2011</strong> entailed<br />

higher salary increases during the year for<br />

transport companies than for the other parts<br />

of the Swedish commercial sector.<br />

More customer time (transport planning<br />

efficiency) meant that availability for the<br />

customer improved, while profitability<br />

increased. In <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden’s buses<br />

drove somewhat more kilometers per bus<br />

than the year before and the proportion of<br />

mileage off the time table decreased to 13%.<br />

During the year, operational and transport<br />

management were separated, which created<br />

the conditions for the local operational managers<br />

to focus entirely on management and<br />

development of employees at the same time<br />

that central transport management can provide<br />

better support to customers and drivers.<br />

To increase competitiveness, a new organization<br />

was introduced at the head office. The<br />

central costs were thereby reduced at the same<br />

time that better coordination was achieved.<br />

tendeRS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is Sweden’s largest provider of public<br />

bus services with just over one fourth of the<br />

market for city and regional service. At<br />

present, the company has more than 2,486<br />

buses in operation in about one hundred<br />

locations within the framework of contracts<br />

with public transport authorities. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden operates extensive city and suburban<br />

service as well as regional service in Dalarna,<br />

Närke, Skåne, Stockholm, Uppland, Värmland<br />

and Västra Götaland. During the year,<br />

around 200 million departures were provided<br />

by <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden. The goal is to<br />

double this number by 2020.<br />

During the preceding fiscal year, Swedish<br />

public transport authorities procured transport<br />

services for slightly around 1,500 buses,<br />

508 of which were currently run by <strong>Nobina</strong>.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden won new transport services<br />

in Malmö, Gothenburg and Norrköping,<br />

among others. In the City of Malmö, half<br />

of the city services were up for procurement<br />

in <strong>2010</strong> and in <strong>2011</strong>, the remainder is<br />

expected to be up for procurement. The<br />

transport services for the first half comprising<br />

90 buses began at the end of February<br />

<strong>2011</strong> and Malmö then became <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden’s<br />

largest service area. In Norrköping, it<br />

is a matter of commuter service to and from<br />

Norrköping and in Gothenburg, it mainly<br />

involves express service for commuter traffic.<br />

By winning these contracts, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden<br />

strengthens its position on markets with<br />

considerable growth potential.


» the goal is to double the number<br />

of departures by 2020.<br />

Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL) conducted<br />

three procurements during the year. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden won one of them, involving the<br />

service of 85 buses in Norrtälje beginning in<br />

June <strong>2011</strong>, but lost two existing contracts in<br />

Nacka/Värmdö and Huddinge/Botkyrka.<br />

In total, the year entailed a net reduction<br />

of 75 buses. In <strong>2011</strong>, around 1,200 buses<br />

will be procured.<br />

cOntRactS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden provides public bus services<br />

in the scope of contracts with 15 out of a total<br />

of 22 public transport authorities in Sweden.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden’s clients include SL, Skånetrafiken<br />

and Västtrafik. The contracts have<br />

a duration of between five and ten years. The<br />

contracts regulate the commercial terms<br />

and the requirements placed on each party.<br />

When choosing the tenders that will be<br />

prioritized, such tender requirements as<br />

commercial terms, level of risk and the contract’s<br />

development potential are crucial.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden carefully reviews the conditions<br />

in each tender request and only compiles<br />

tenders that allow service of satisfactory<br />

quality, stable profitability and balanced<br />

economic risk. Crucial factors for long-term<br />

profitability include a strong traffic planning<br />

ability and efficient operation, meaning an<br />

ability to satisfy promises to customers with<br />

limited use of resources.<br />

A growing numbers of public transport<br />

authorities are moving towards more incentivebased<br />

compensation in the contracts. However,<br />

a traffic company’s possibilities of adjusting<br />

the tender to the customer remain limited,<br />

constituting an area for improvement.<br />

During the year, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden won an<br />

attractive contract in the SL area, Norrtälje-<br />

Stockholm. Compensation in half of the<br />

contract is solely based on the number of passengers.<br />

This is a major step in SL service and<br />

constitutes the first real customer-driven<br />

contract. The agreement means that <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden’s compensation on the major routes<br />

will come solely from how many travel with<br />

the service. In this agreement, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden has more room to make decisions<br />

and implement customized improvements.<br />

In return, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden receives a larger<br />

part of the compensation – but also accepts<br />

a greater share of the risk. Read more about<br />

the new Norrtälje contract on page 17.<br />

For several years, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden has conducted<br />

several development projects in existing<br />

contracts together with clients. The goal<br />

is to increase customer and society benefit by<br />

finding the best ways of working and adapting<br />

the commercial terms to the desired<br />

effect. Good examples of this can be found<br />

in Karlstad, Skövde, Umeå and the traffic<br />

between Malmö/Lund. Together with the<br />

clients, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden has acheived large<br />

travel increases in a resource-efficient<br />

manner in these traffic areas.<br />

The most important issue for regional<br />

service in Sweden in the long-term remains<br />

the procurement process in itself. Since<br />

2008, intensive work in the industry has<br />

NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

been under way to increase travel by public<br />

transport. In the joint-industry, Doubling<br />

project, initiated by the Swedish Association<br />

of Local Authorities and Regions (SKL) and<br />

the Swedish Transport Administration<br />

(Trafikverket), the goal is to double public<br />

transport travel by 2020. In the longer term,<br />

the market share should also be doubled<br />

from today’s 20%. In order to get there, clients<br />

and traffic companies need to develop<br />

skills and ways of working, and find joint<br />

drivers. Within the scope of the Doubling<br />

Project, a recommendation was launched in<br />

<strong>2010</strong>, containing a target-controlled agreement<br />

process and various kinds of contract<br />

templates that meet the set objectives.<br />

Västtrafik is one of the public transport<br />

authorities that implemented its procurements<br />

in accordance with the recommendations<br />

in <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>. Hopefully, more people<br />

will choose to move in the same direction<br />

in the future.<br />

eMpLOyeeS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden has more than 6,000 fulltime<br />

employees. To be able to develop operations<br />

and strengthen profitability, the company<br />

is dependent on committed employees<br />

who strive to achieve established goals.<br />

This applies to everything from passenger<br />

satis faction to the strength of the brand,<br />

safety onboard and impact on the environment.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden therefore focuses<br />

strongly on leadership issues and delegated<br />

responsibility.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 35


NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

The organization is divided into smaller<br />

units that work actively with development<br />

talks, goal matrices, regular feedback and<br />

parti cularly value issues.<br />

The year was characterized by the reorganization<br />

implemented in spring <strong>2010</strong>. The<br />

change work in the Group proceded according<br />

to plan and the new business-area controlled<br />

organization works well. Cooperation<br />

between the countries in the various units<br />

has been strengthened, including as regards<br />

to HR, accounting, marketing and transport<br />

services. In the past years, a number of<br />

approaches and decision-making processes<br />

were developed, and focus in <strong>2010</strong> was<br />

placed on establishing this work.<br />

One of the major challenges for <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden in the next few years, and for the<br />

industry as a whole, is the regeneration of<br />

drivers. <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden must be, and be perceived<br />

as, a good employer to attract new<br />

employees. During the year, the minimum<br />

age for driving licenses for bus drivers was<br />

lowered to 18 in Sweden and the new law<br />

opens the possibility of new recruitment<br />

channels, such as driver training in conjunction<br />

with vocational training at upper-<br />

secondary schools regarding which <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden participated in a number of initiatives.<br />

BuSeS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden has slightly more than 2,486<br />

buses in traffic in existing public transport contracts<br />

with 15 public transport authorities.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden focuses on maintenance issues,<br />

meaning that the company has achieved the<br />

market’s highest proportion of approved inspections<br />

by Svensk Bil provning for several years<br />

– far above the industry average. The industry<br />

36 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

average is slightly less than 50% approved<br />

inspections, while <strong>Nobina</strong>’s is just under 80%.<br />

Three factors that are important for creating<br />

the greatest environmental benefit are full<br />

buses, the right fuel type and low fuel consumption.<br />

The most important favor <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sweden can do for the environment is to<br />

drive a full bus, which is accomplished by<br />

more people choosing the bus over the car.<br />

In cooperation with Linköping University,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden is currently conducting a<br />

study of how to better structure the procurement<br />

requirements from a bus perspective<br />

to thereby contribute to fewer emissions.<br />

By the traffic service provider having more<br />

opportunity to adjust the size and number<br />

of buses to the market need, emissions per<br />

client are reduced.<br />

The other major factor is fuel. In the<br />

Stockholm area, the first electric hybrid<br />

buses in the Swedish market are being evaluated<br />

jointly by <strong>Nobina</strong>, Scania and SL.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden is also conducting a project<br />

in Uppsala together with Upplands Lokaltrafik,<br />

Scandinavian Biogas and Biogas Öst,<br />

in which two different diesel buses are<br />

converted to operation with liquid biogas.<br />

On May 25, <strong>2010</strong>, the new buses of the<br />

Dual Fuel project held a premier.<br />

The driving style is also critical for emissions,<br />

which is why drivers are constantly<br />

trained to increase their environmental competence.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden has developed a<br />

concept called The Green Journey (Den Gröna<br />

Resan) in which drivers are trained to take<br />

greater consideration of the environment.<br />

During the year, the ISO-certification<br />

work of the Stockholm operations that began<br />

in 2009 was concluded. Now, all Stockholm-<br />

based operations are ISO certified with<br />

regard to the environment and quality, and<br />

this work is being extended to more areas of<br />

service throughout Sweden. The objective is<br />

to substantially reduce <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden’s<br />

environmental impact and increase customer<br />

satisfaction by continuously measuring and<br />

following up factors that affect the customer<br />

experience. Once every six months, a review<br />

is conducted of how well the company complies<br />

with its own instructions and policies.<br />

FutuRe FOcuS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden continuously takes new<br />

steps towards new and better ways of working.<br />

More efficient traffic planning and better<br />

operation lowers costs and helps the environment.<br />

However, it is the ability to motivate<br />

the employees that means the most.<br />

Their commitment and efforts are the most<br />

important tool to achieve success. Therefore,<br />

focus continues to be on improvement work<br />

and leadership issues. Optimization of the<br />

bus fleet is another important issue moving<br />

forward. Here too, traffic planning is a central<br />

factor as well as the financial conditions.<br />

In <strong>2011</strong>, traffic service for around 1,200<br />

buses will be procured in Sweden, including<br />

with SL in combined rail and bus traffic, the<br />

second half of the City of Malmö, Uppland,<br />

Angered, Tvåstad and city service in Norrköping<br />

and Linköping. In addition to this,<br />

there is the commencement of the exciting<br />

Norrtälje service, the <strong>2011</strong> wage negotiations<br />

and the continued work of finding a better<br />

fuel solution that generates greater flexibility<br />

in the future.


highLight<br />

OF the day<br />

frAmVAGNSVINJett<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 37


NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> denmark<br />

Orderly structures with a clear profitability focus – these are components<br />

that characterized the danish operations during the year. despite its relatively<br />

short time on the market, <strong>Nobina</strong> was elected Operator of the year and<br />

strengthened its position in denmark. the internal work of improving profitability<br />

and efficiency provides a good foundation for the major upcoming<br />

negotiations on the danish market.<br />

Sales 323 SeK M (192)<br />

Operating profit –53 SeK M (–30)<br />

market share 4%<br />

Number of<br />

passengers 9.2 million<br />

Average number<br />

of employees 355 (219)<br />

Number of buses 151<br />

millions of kilometers<br />

traveled 12.4<br />

New/expired<br />

contracts 1/10<br />

Share of<br />

group sales<br />

(3%)<br />

4.8%<br />

38 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

deVeLOpMent duRing the yeaR<br />

In just three years, <strong>Nobina</strong> has established a<br />

strong position on the Danish market thanks<br />

to a well-developed offering, clear leadership<br />

and result efficiency in all phases. Sales<br />

increased by 68.2% to SEK 323 million,<br />

while the operating loss degraded to SEK 53<br />

million (loss: 30) as a result of the coldest winter<br />

in a century with extreme additional<br />

expense. In addition to continuous improvement<br />

work, <strong>Nobina</strong>’s primary focus during<br />

the year was the beginning of traffic for a total<br />

of 60 buses. In connection with new traffic<br />

plans in December, traffic was reduced in<br />

some of the contracts due to the finances of<br />

the municipalities, which led to the number<br />

of buses in traffic decreasing somewhat.<br />

tendeRS<br />

The past year was mainly about putting<br />

every thing in place in the existing contracts<br />

rather than focusing on new contracts,<br />

which is why the tendering activity was low.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> now has a total of six contracts and<br />

144 buses in operation in the Danish market<br />

for regional service.<br />

At the beginning of the year, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

began new service in Randersstad with 22<br />

buses, working as planned. In late spring,<br />

service with 27 buses also began in southern<br />

Denmark in Zealand. In addition, the existing<br />

contract in Greater Copenhagen was<br />

extended by ten buses.<br />

The Danish market is consolidated with<br />

five regions and six clients. British bus and<br />

rail operator Arriva, which was acquired<br />

by Deutsche Bahn during the year, is the<br />

market leader with approximately 35% of<br />

the market, followed by the private traffic<br />

company Thykiær. <strong>Nobina</strong> is the sixth largest<br />

traffic company with around 4% of the<br />

market and the objective is to achieve the<br />

same market position as the subsidiaries in<br />

the rest of the Nordic countries.<br />

cOntRactS<br />

The structure of the tenders in Denmark is<br />

becoming increasingly quality-focused,<br />

which is reflected in the rising tender prices.<br />

Consequently, <strong>Nobina</strong>’s goal is to have more<br />

than 80% satisfied customers, the best quality<br />

ratings and the highest credibility in the<br />

market. Every year, the principal Movia conducts<br />

customer surveys that form the basis<br />

of the Operator of the Year award. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

won the award for 2009 and did well in the<br />

ratings for <strong>2010</strong> for operations in Hillerød<br />

on Northern Zealand.<br />

As in the rest of the Nordic region, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

is only responsible for the actual delivery,<br />

while the transport authority formulates the<br />

assignment alone. However, the ambition is<br />

to be involved in driving development all the<br />

way from market surveys to product development<br />

and marketing through closer relationships<br />

and new forms of cooperation. <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

has agreed on new types of cooperation with<br />

the principal Midttrafik and Movia.<br />

With regard to the indexation of compensation,<br />

it largely works well in Denmark,


» focus is on presenting positive<br />

profitability in the contracts<br />

and winning more.<br />

although the model is very generally structured.<br />

Salaries are regulated each half year<br />

and other components such as fuel and maintenance<br />

are adjusted quarterly or monthly.<br />

In Denmark, variable remuneration is only<br />

applied to time table hours, which over time<br />

can result in a mistaken distortion of variable<br />

revenue relative to the cost trend. This is the<br />

case when adjusting supply. <strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark<br />

will work actively to change the terms<br />

of the variable revenues so that they are both<br />

time and distance based.<br />

eMpLOyeeS<br />

In conjunction with the establishment of<br />

operations in 2008, <strong>Nobina</strong> employed experienced<br />

personnel for both operations and<br />

administration through a combination of<br />

new recruitment and taking over personnel<br />

at the start of new contracts. During the year,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> had an average of 355 employees,<br />

and the recruitment situation is favorable.<br />

In contrast to Norway, for example, it is easy<br />

to recruit new bus drivers even though the<br />

requirements are higher than in the rest<br />

of the Nordic region, partly thanks to the<br />

economic situation.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> works purposefully with employee<br />

commitment and understanding of their<br />

part in the development of operations as well<br />

as in issues that concern the offering to the<br />

customer. All managers are evaluated individually,<br />

and the ambition is to formulate<br />

individual goals for drivers as well.<br />

At the beginning of the year, Sjur Breden<br />

was appointed the new President of <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Denmark, following his previous position as<br />

the Director of Marketing and Purchasing in<br />

the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group. The Danish management<br />

was also strengthened with a new financial<br />

manager. The new Group organization has<br />

contributed to more frequent contact and<br />

better exchange between the various countries<br />

in the regional service business area.<br />

BuSeS<br />

The majority of the bus fleet is equipped with<br />

new engines in the EEV and Euro 5 classes,<br />

and <strong>Nobina</strong> has a traffic contract in Randers<br />

with clear incentives for reduction of fuel<br />

consumption. The company actively works<br />

with The Green Journey (Den Gröna Resan)<br />

concept in which fuel consumption is measured<br />

at the individual level.<br />

During the year, <strong>Nobina</strong> entered a unique<br />

cooperation agreement with the transport<br />

authorities Midttrafik and the Municipality<br />

of Randers with the goal of jointly increasing<br />

the number of customers by 15%, reducing<br />

fuel consumption by 15% and increasing the<br />

proportion of customer time. The agreement<br />

is the first of its kind and is a way of improving<br />

the environment through a better product<br />

to the customers.<br />

In addition, work is under way to introduce<br />

the accounting of carbon dioxide<br />

emissions in two existing traffic contracts<br />

as a driver to improve the environment. By<br />

measu ring diesel consumption per kilometer,<br />

the proportion of renewable energy, the<br />

NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

proportion of customer time per departure<br />

and lastly the number of customers in the<br />

buses, the amount of emissions per customer<br />

kilo meter can be reduced.<br />

FutuRe FOcuS<br />

Focus in <strong>2011</strong> will continue to be on presenting<br />

positive profitability in the new contracts,<br />

improving the efficiency of the organization<br />

and winning more new contracts. In<br />

the next year, several important large procurement<br />

processes will be carried out with<br />

potentially profitable contracts for the winner<br />

of the contracts. The price levels are<br />

assessed to be on the way up and recruitment<br />

possibilities are very strong. Environmental<br />

and development issues continue to top the<br />

agenda and are an area in which <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

cooperates closely with its principals.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 39


NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway<br />

In preparation for a market in strong movement, focus in the Norwegian<br />

operations has been on improving the internal processes and creating<br />

the right conditions to win profitable contracts. during the year, a<br />

new management was appointed with the focus of improving quality<br />

in all phases from traffic planning and bus optimization to damage<br />

management and driving style.<br />

Sales 783 SeK M (733)<br />

Operating profit 21 SeK M (21)<br />

market share 17%<br />

Number of<br />

passengers 12.8 million<br />

Average number<br />

of employees 1,157 (771)<br />

Number of buses 451<br />

millions of kilometers<br />

traveled 25.2<br />

New/expired<br />

contracts 2/2<br />

Share of<br />

group sales<br />

(12%)<br />

11.7%<br />

40 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

deVeLOpMent duRing the yeaR<br />

The Norwegian operations had sales of SEK<br />

783 million (733) with an unchanged operating<br />

profit at SEK 21 million (21). Like the<br />

other Nordic countries, Norway was struck<br />

by a harsh winter with extreme temperatures<br />

throughout the country, which had a negative<br />

impact on profitability through higher<br />

costs of fuel and maintenance.<br />

In the next few years, large parts of the<br />

market are expected to be subject to competition,<br />

which means considerable opportunities<br />

for <strong>Nobina</strong> in Norway. As a part of the<br />

ongoing changes on the market, tough<br />

competition and downward price pressure<br />

characterize the procurement processes.<br />

tendeRS<br />

Regional bus service in Norway comprises a<br />

total of around 6,200 buses in 19 counties.<br />

During the year, a number of public procurements<br />

were conducted in several service areas<br />

that were previously covered by concession<br />

contracts. This is a clear consequence of the<br />

European ordinance on public transport that<br />

is increasingly applied and will open up the<br />

market. In addition, new legislation entered<br />

into effect in 2009 with regard to the forms<br />

of public procurement, which is also a step in<br />

the development towards more public procurements.<br />

The share of service up for public<br />

procurement will exceed 50% in the first half<br />

of <strong>2011</strong> and will then increase by 500–800<br />

buses annually in the next few years.<br />

The Norwegian market is fragmented with<br />

about 100 different bus companies. State-<br />

owned Nettbuss is the market leader,<br />

although it has a weaker position on the<br />

market for contracted bus services. There,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway had a market share of<br />

around 13% in <strong>2010</strong> through ten contracts<br />

with six public transport authorities. The<br />

traffic is concentrated to eastern Norway and<br />

Hordaland on Norway’s west coast.<br />

In the past fiscal year, traffic services for<br />

1,000 buses were up for procurement in Norway.<br />

Since some of these contracts were subject<br />

to public procurement for the first time,<br />

there was a lack of valuable supporting data in<br />

the form of documentation and timetables,<br />

which made the tendering work more difficult.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway lost two of its existing<br />

contracts, which were discontinued at the<br />

beginning of <strong>2011</strong>, comprising ten buses in<br />

Lillehammer and 60 buses in Östfold. No<br />

new contracts were added. In <strong>2011</strong>, several<br />

procurements are expected, some of which<br />

concern <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway’s current services.<br />

The development of Norwegian public transport<br />

is behind that in Sweden and does not meet<br />

today’s transport needs. The railway network is<br />

less developed than in Sweden and with an<br />

expected population growth of 40% in and<br />

around the major cities in the next few years,<br />

public transport is under considerable pressure.<br />

During the year, the main organization for bus<br />

traffic companies and the association for public<br />

transport authorities met to discuss a doubling<br />

project and a sustainable development for Norwegian<br />

public transport, in part through clearer<br />

incentives for the traffic companies to develop<br />

and increase public transport.


» Several important procurements<br />

await – which means considerable<br />

opportunities.<br />

cOntRactS<br />

Gross cost contracts dominate regional transports<br />

in Norway. Development towards<br />

incentive contracts (net cost contracts) is proceeding<br />

slowly and changes are mainly occurring<br />

in the areas that are publicly procured for<br />

a longer period of time. In Oslo and Bergen,<br />

there are small elements of incentive structures<br />

in the agreements and quality evaluations<br />

have been introduced in the procurement<br />

processes. Otherwise, the tender documentation<br />

specifies the routes and timetables<br />

that will be covered by the traffic provider as<br />

well as detailed requirements on bus types,<br />

environmental standard and appearance.<br />

A weakness in the Norwegian contract<br />

model for contracted traffic is that the index<br />

is not adjusted until one year after signing<br />

and does not provide full compensation for<br />

the period’s costs. The largest public transport<br />

authority, Ruter, now encourages more<br />

incentive-driven contracts and index adjustment<br />

every six months.<br />

eMpLOyeeS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway had 829 full-time employees<br />

during the <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> fiscal year. Most of the<br />

employees are represented by their respective<br />

trade unions within the framework of the<br />

industry’s collective agreements, which are<br />

normally renegotiated every two years.<br />

During the year, Stein Nilsen began as the<br />

President of <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway. His most<br />

recent position was as the Group Director in<br />

charge of passenger rail service of Norwegian<br />

State Railways (NSB). Prior to that, he<br />

worked at SAS for 20 years, most recently as<br />

the manager of the group’s aviation operations<br />

in Norway. With his extensive experience<br />

of the Nordic transport sector, Stein<br />

Nilsen possesses unique expertise and the<br />

skills necessary to develop the Norwegian<br />

operations.Recruitment is one of the primary<br />

challenges in the Norwegian operations.<br />

Norway has generally low unemployment<br />

and the bus driver profession needs to<br />

become more attractive. During the year,<br />

an extensive recruitment campaign was conducted<br />

with advertisements in the major<br />

media. At present, there is a 21-year age limit<br />

for bus drivers in Norway. It is hoped that this<br />

age limit will be lowered to 18 as in Sweden.<br />

During the year, an organizational change<br />

was implemented in the Group, which<br />

increased experiential exchange in the<br />

regional transports business area. The Norwegian<br />

operations will begin improvement<br />

work along the lines of the Swedish model<br />

at the beginning of <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

BuSeS<br />

Investments in buses are becoming a growing<br />

challenge in connection with the commencement<br />

of contracts. The Norwegian<br />

public transport authorities set high standards<br />

on the buses’ age, design, environmental<br />

and safety parameters in the traffic contracts.<br />

Requirements are continuously changing<br />

and differ between contracts, making it difficult<br />

to re-use buses in new contracts. In general,<br />

new buses are sought with high levels of<br />

comfort and low emissions. The proportion<br />

NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

of gas and hybrid buses in metropolitan areas<br />

is increasing, as is the use of biodiesel in the<br />

diesel-powered buses in rural areas. In 2013,<br />

a new environmental requirement will be<br />

introduced in the Euro 6 standard.<br />

The key is to have a sound average age for<br />

the fleet as a whole, which is why optimization<br />

of the Group’s bus fleet is a prerequisite<br />

for profitable traffic in all service areas. In<br />

recent years, <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway has renewed<br />

the oldest part of the fleet and, in the future,<br />

this work will continue so that the bus fleet<br />

will meet current contractual requirements<br />

with regard to age and environmental standard.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway currently has a good<br />

mix of buses in the age range of one to<br />

12 years.<br />

FutuRe FOcuS<br />

In <strong>2011</strong>, several important procurement<br />

processes are expected and the outcome of<br />

them will determine how the organization<br />

will be structured in the next few years.<br />

Focus is on an attractive offer and sound<br />

operations. By striving for high quality and<br />

efficiency, <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway will cultivate the<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> brand among passengers, win tenders<br />

with the public transport authorities<br />

and increase cost awareness in the entire<br />

operation. This applies to areas ranging from<br />

traffic planning and bus optimization to<br />

maintenance, damage management and<br />

driving style. Last, but not least, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Norway will increase its efforts to recruit<br />

new bus drivers.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 41


NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> finland<br />

the finnish operations developed according to plan, with improved<br />

profitability, despite difficult and costly weather conditions. there are<br />

major challenges in the market, but there are even more opportunities<br />

with a large number of contracts that are expected to be subject to<br />

competition in the near future. the organization is well equipped to<br />

take part in the market’s growth.<br />

Sales 756 SeK M (801)<br />

Operating profit 7 SeK M (7)<br />

market share 32%<br />

Number of<br />

passengers 44.3 million<br />

Average number<br />

of employees 1,035 (1,026)<br />

Number of buses 440<br />

millions of kilometers<br />

traveled 34.7<br />

New/expired<br />

contracts 3/3<br />

Share of<br />

group sales<br />

(13%)<br />

11.3%<br />

42 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

deVeLOpMent duRing the yeaR<br />

Despite two harsh winters, the Finnish<br />

operations performed better than expected<br />

in terms of profit. The Finnish operations<br />

had sales of SEK 756 million (801) with an<br />

unchanged operating profit at SEK 7 million<br />

(7). The most important factors behind these<br />

successes were good traffic planning and a<br />

well-functioning organization. Nonetheless,<br />

the cold weather was financially straining,<br />

with extra costs for personnel, maintenance<br />

and fuel, as well as delayed indexation that<br />

did not fully reimburse the costs. The new<br />

Group organization established at the beginning<br />

of the year created better conditions for<br />

exchange between the countries of operations<br />

in the regional transports business area.<br />

A more stringent contract interpretation by<br />

the public transport authority HSL was a<br />

challenge to the traffic companies in Helsinki.<br />

tendeRS<br />

The Helsinki region, Tampere and Turku are<br />

the only service areas that conduct public<br />

procurements that comprise the largest part<br />

of the overall market. The rest of Finland’s<br />

public bus transport will be subject to competition<br />

in the next few years in pace with<br />

the expiration of the concession contracts.<br />

The situation already looks better in <strong>2011</strong><br />

in Turku with several new service areas<br />

that are up for public procurement.<br />

In contrast to the other Nordic countries,<br />

the Finnish traffic contracts normally<br />

cover a specific bus route rather than an<br />

entire service area with a complete route<br />

network.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s operations are in the Helsinki<br />

area, which is Finland’s largest market<br />

for city and regional traffic. Here, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

provides service in the cities of Helsinki,<br />

Vantaa and Espoo. Following a merger of<br />

two transport authorities in the Helsinki<br />

area in January <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> operates 400<br />

buses for a single public transport authority,<br />

HRT (Helsinki Regional Transport).<br />

In <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland lost a tender for<br />

40 of its own buses in the Helsinki area,<br />

which affects 80 drivers. In <strong>2011</strong>, two major<br />

procurement processes will be conducted<br />

in the Helsinki region, comprising a total<br />

of 241 buses. Around 90 of these buses are<br />

currently run by <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland.<br />

cOntRactS<br />

Strong price pressure has contributed to<br />

a consolidation in the bus market in the<br />

Helsinki region, which is now dominated by<br />

five major players, of which <strong>Nobina</strong> is the<br />

largest with around one third of the market.<br />

These five players currently compete in a<br />

price environment that demands high efficiency<br />

to generate a profit and <strong>Nobina</strong> only<br />

submits tenders that have conditions to be


» Good traffic planning and a well­<br />

functioning organization are the<br />

most important success factors.<br />

profitable. However, the price situation is<br />

assessed to gradually improve.<br />

Another challenge is the cost indexation<br />

that, although being regulated quarterly, is<br />

structured so that the compensation does not<br />

fully cover the company’s cost increases.<br />

For example, this is true if the price of diesel<br />

increases sharply as it did in the past year.<br />

This problem is common to all traffic companies<br />

and a collective dialogue is being conducted<br />

with the clients to this regard. An<br />

intensive dialogue is also being held with<br />

HRT to develop a cost-neutral index and<br />

the statistical centre in Finland is involved<br />

in these discussions.<br />

The public transport authorities and<br />

traffic companies meet four times a year to<br />

discuss various development issues, such<br />

as how to influence the authorities to better<br />

maintain the roads. The Finnish market is<br />

behind the other Nordic countries in terms<br />

of a transition to incentive-controlled agreements.<br />

The current contracts provide limited<br />

possibilities for traffic companies to influence<br />

the offering and do not encourage individual<br />

initiative financially, environmentally<br />

or in terms of quality.<br />

eMpLOyeeS<br />

During the year, <strong>Nobina</strong> had slightly more<br />

than 1,000 employees in its Finnish operations.<br />

All employees within <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland<br />

are represented by trade unions according<br />

to the terms of an industry-wide collective<br />

agreement.<br />

It is relatively easy to recruit both bus<br />

drivers and administrative personnel in<br />

Finland, and this has provided <strong>Nobina</strong>,<br />

as an attractive employer, with favorable<br />

prerequisites for operating efficient traffic<br />

with motivated employees.<br />

During the year, a number of successful<br />

human resource efforts were conducted that<br />

focused on leadership, corporate culture and<br />

development issues. This resulted in less<br />

sickness absence and less overtime. Another<br />

proof that <strong>Nobina</strong> invests in its employees<br />

was that this year’s employee survey presented<br />

very positive results.<br />

BuSeS<br />

Requirements on buses in Finland differ<br />

from the other Nordic countries, making it<br />

difficult to fully utilize the Group’s fleet in<br />

conjunction with new contracts. Instead,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> invested in newly developed buses<br />

to meet the customers’ high environmental<br />

demands. However, the new buses have not<br />

functioned satisfactorily and have caused<br />

major operational disruptions. During the<br />

year, the problems were determined to be<br />

due to direct quality deficiencies in the buses.<br />

The management of the bus fleet continues<br />

to be crucial to profitability. Operating costs<br />

NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

decreased during the year, but the traffic<br />

intensity in Helsinki resulted in more<br />

accidents and higher damage costs.<br />

FutuRe FOcuS<br />

After two tough years with a number of<br />

challenges, the outlook is better for <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

The operations are developing soundly and<br />

the employees are involved in the improvement<br />

work. Several medium-sized cities are<br />

opening up to competition in the next few<br />

years and the upcoming procurements in the<br />

Helsinki area will take place before then.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 43


44 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

frAmVAGNSVINJett<br />

Gävle<br />

Söderhamn<br />

Hudiksvall<br />

Sundsvall<br />

Härnösand<br />

Örnsköldsvik<br />

Umeå<br />

Sollefteå<br />

Östersund<br />

Ljusdal<br />

Sälen<br />

Transtrand<br />

Mora<br />

Rättvik<br />

Leksand<br />

Borlänge<br />

Falun<br />

Västerås<br />

Köping<br />

Karlskoga<br />

Karlstad<br />

Filipstad<br />

Kopparberg<br />

Ludvika<br />

Årjäng<br />

Åmål<br />

Mellerud<br />

Säffle<br />

Töcksfors<br />

Kristinehamn<br />

Eskilstuna<br />

Örebro<br />

Finspång<br />

Norrköping<br />

Enköping<br />

Nyköping<br />

Södertälje<br />

Arlanda<br />

Linköping<br />

Motala<br />

Vadstena<br />

Vara<br />

Skara<br />

Vänersborg<br />

Skövde<br />

Tidaholm<br />

Landvetter<br />

Mariestad<br />

Jönköping<br />

Nässjö Eksjö Mariannelund<br />

Gislaved<br />

Trollhättan<br />

Borås<br />

Ulricehamn<br />

Mjölby<br />

Gränna<br />

Värnamo<br />

Västervik<br />

Oskarshamn<br />

Karlskrona<br />

Karlshamn<br />

Kalmar<br />

Borgholm<br />

Mönsterås<br />

Växjö<br />

Lammhult<br />

Byxelkrok<br />

Vimmerby<br />

Helsingborg<br />

Halmstad<br />

Falkenberg<br />

Gothenburg<br />

Uddevalla<br />

Sarpsborg<br />

Oslo<br />

Malmö<br />

Kastrup<br />

Ljungby<br />

Markaryd<br />

Örkelljunga<br />

Lund<br />

Kristianstad<br />

Uppsala<br />

Copenhagen<br />

Berlin<br />

Berlin–Prague<br />

Hamburg–Amsterdam–Paris<br />

–Frankfurt–Hannover<br />

Stockholm<br />

Interregional<br />

traffic<br />

overview


Swebus<br />

Sales 430 SeK M (412)<br />

Operating profit 40 SeK M (42)<br />

market share 50%<br />

Number of<br />

passengers 2.2 million<br />

Average number<br />

of employees 243 (205)<br />

Number of buses 90<br />

millions of kilometers<br />

traveled 17.9<br />

New routes<br />

during the year 1<br />

NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

this year was characterized by strong forces of nature that affected Swebus’ development<br />

both positively and negatively. the harsh winter and the consequences of the Iceland ash<br />

cloud lifted the bus as a travel alternative in the spring, while a number of factors caused<br />

the end of the year to be weaker. Swebus continued to take a number of aggressive steps,<br />

including breaking into the airport transfer traffic at Stockholm–Arlanda and the launch of<br />

several It applications to simplify customer travel with Swebus.<br />

Share of<br />

group sales<br />

(6%)<br />

6.4%<br />

deVeLOpMent duRing the yeaR<br />

The year began strong thanks to positive<br />

winter effects that contributed to more passengers<br />

choosing the bus as a means of transport.<br />

The first quarter was also marked by<br />

the Iceland ash cloud that halted air travel<br />

throughout Europe. In just a few hours,<br />

Swebus succeeded in calling in 260 buses<br />

in addition to the ordinary bus fleet of 90<br />

buses, which gave a significant opportunity<br />

to transport affected travelers. Swebus<br />

received considerable media coverage for its<br />

flexibility and rapid response capacity, which<br />

contributed to strengthening the brand.<br />

The spring and summer, which are the high<br />

season for event travel, were worse than<br />

expected, however. The royal wedding was<br />

not the strong attraction many had expected<br />

and <strong>2010</strong> was a relatively weak festival and<br />

concert year. However, Swebus continues to<br />

offer and market travel to festivals, sporting<br />

events, concerts, trade fairs and ski facilities.<br />

This is done both through specially adapted<br />

departures and with existing departures/<br />

routes. The ambition is to become both<br />

broader in the offering and to create combined<br />

offerings with travel and entrance.<br />

In spring <strong>2010</strong>, Swebus also launched airport<br />

transfer traffic between Stockholm City<br />

and Arlanda Airport and challenged the<br />

well-established Flygbussarna.<br />

Christmas <strong>2010</strong> offered fewer red travel<br />

days than usual and the winter struck earlier<br />

than expected, which was a challenge even<br />

for Swebus, which is usually fast to adapt its<br />

service. This combined with sharply rising<br />

diesel prices and higher diesel consumption<br />

due to cold, snow and delays meant higher<br />

production costs.<br />

Altogether, the development during the year<br />

was below expectation with a profit that was<br />

weighed down by significant investments in<br />

the start-up of Arlanda service and IT development.<br />

However, sales increased by a total of<br />

4% to SEK 430 million, while the operating<br />

profit degraded by 5% to SEK 40 million (42).<br />

SatiSFied cuStOMeRS<br />

During the year, the total number of passengers<br />

increased 0.3%. This increase was<br />

mainly due to a higher number of customers<br />

in the adult category and new customers<br />

choosing to travel with the new Arlanda transfer.<br />

After last year’s measured decline in quality,<br />

the entire industry for passenger traffic<br />

made a strong recovery in the customer satisfaction<br />

survey, Swedish Quality Index (SKI),<br />

with the exception of train travel. Again,<br />

Swebus performed well in the measurements.<br />

Swebus received a total rating of nearly 70 out<br />

of 100 with the greatest success in the areas<br />

of image, service quality and loyalty.<br />

In the past year, Swebus doubled the<br />

number of members in its customer database<br />

to 80,000 and continuously pursues the<br />

expansion of an attractive offering. In 2009,<br />

successful cooperation was established with<br />

Coop MedMera to further strengthen the<br />

brand throughout the country and in <strong>2010</strong>,<br />

Swebus opted to continue with Coop’s new<br />

program, which meant that the members<br />

now receive direct monetary returns.<br />

Through the cooperation with Coop, Swebus<br />

reaches three million members who receive<br />

benefits when they book travel with Swebus<br />

or make purchases at Coop.<br />

StROng BRand<br />

Swebus as a brand has a high level of recognition<br />

thanks to high availability, modern services<br />

and personal customer service. According<br />

to the consumer survey conducted each year,<br />

the brand has been continuously strengthened<br />

in recent years. Brand awareness, or how well<br />

one recognizes the brand without help,<br />

increased from 63% to 69% during the year,<br />

while 14% more people aged 15–79 than previous<br />

years spontaneously mentioned Swebus<br />

first when answering the question of what<br />

bus operator they can name.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 45


NOBINA – BuSINeSS AreAS<br />

During the spring of <strong>2010</strong>, the brand’s name<br />

was changed from Swebus Express to Swebus<br />

and, at the same time, the graphical profile<br />

was clarified to provide a more modern and<br />

more distinguishing image of the brand. The<br />

new profile received very positive reactions,<br />

but the real effect is not expected to be seen<br />

until the consumer surveys in <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

eFFectiVe SaLeS channeLS<br />

The Internet is solidifying its position as a<br />

prioritized, strong channel for marketing<br />

and sales of trips. During the year, seven of<br />

ten Swebus passengers booked their trip<br />

online. Swebus’ own website swebus.se<br />

attracts more than half a million visitors each<br />

month thanks to smart functions and effective<br />

search engine optimization (SEO). Swebus<br />

also has operator status on SJ’s website,<br />

which means that a bus trip with Swebus is<br />

presented as an alternative to a train trip<br />

when requesting travel information from SJ.<br />

In 2009, Swebus chose to close half of its<br />

ticketing offices. Instead, a cooperation<br />

agreement commenced in <strong>2010</strong> with Reitan<br />

Servicehandel and their Pressbyrå and<br />

7-Eleven stores in Sweden (532 sales points).<br />

This increased the number of sales points<br />

markedly from around 70 to about 600 with<br />

nationwide coverage, fully in line with the<br />

ambition of offering as high a level of availability<br />

as possible. The main benefits of the<br />

cooperation are extensive opening hours,<br />

broad geographic coverage and better distribution.<br />

At year-end <strong>2010</strong>, sales on board buses<br />

also ended with the exception of the airport<br />

transfer service. In pace with it becoming<br />

more well known that Swebus tickets can be<br />

purchased at Pressbyrå 7-Eleven stores and the<br />

fact that ticket can no longer be bought on the<br />

bus, online sales and sales through Reitan are<br />

expected to increase.<br />

Swebus also offers ticket sales by mobile<br />

phone. The ticket is delivered directly to the<br />

phone and checked with the help of a special<br />

barcode reader on the bus. In addition, ticket<br />

sales alliances have been made with other<br />

interregional bus operators such as Ybuss in<br />

northern Sweden and Eurolines in Europe.<br />

These partnerships link Swebus’ own routes<br />

46 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

with connecting transports and are highly<br />

advantageous for passengers who can book<br />

their entire trip from a single source.<br />

deMand-cOntROLLed pRicing and<br />

tRaVeL pLanning<br />

Swebus is one of a few bus operators that apply<br />

a dynamic pricing model based on an IT system<br />

in which demand, pricing and resource<br />

needs are optimized to achieve the best results<br />

in the form of revenues per passenger kilometer.<br />

However, Swebus is always a less expensive<br />

alternative than the corresponding train<br />

route when booking shortly prior to departure.<br />

In addition, discounts are offered for children,<br />

students and pensioners. In the autumn of<br />

<strong>2010</strong>, it became possible to book travel with<br />

dynamic pricing all the way up to departure.<br />

Swebus had already discontinued seat<br />

guarantees, which led to requirements for<br />

advance purchases and costs for cancelation.<br />

The new system entails improved flexibility<br />

in terms of quickly being able to adapt capacity<br />

in the event of increased demand and, for<br />

example, lease vehicles as a supplement to<br />

proprietary buses during peak traffic.<br />

gROWth OF aiRpORt tRanSFeR SeRVice<br />

In the spring of <strong>2010</strong>, Swebus launched its<br />

airport transfer service between Stockholm<br />

City and Arlanda Airport, and challenged<br />

both Flygbussarna and Arlanda Express,<br />

which have well-established brands and<br />

offerings on the same route. Despite a<br />

strained start with challenges getting started,<br />

traffic functioned as planned and the first<br />

months went better than expected thanks to<br />

effective marketing and added value in the<br />

form of Internet access and toilettes on board<br />

the bus. Swebus was also the first to offer<br />

direct service, in contrast to Flygbussarna,<br />

which have a number of stops along the way.<br />

Since 2009, Swebus also offers airport<br />

transfer service between Örebro–Västerås–<br />

Arlanda. This service is somewhat more<br />

focused on business travelers than the other<br />

interregional bus services.<br />

The airport transfer service is a long-term<br />

venture with a strong future outlook. Rising<br />

air travel and Arlanda’s focus on the environ-<br />

ment mean that there is considerable potential<br />

for Swebus if the bus stop areas become<br />

more customer-oriented and neutral from a<br />

competition perspective, awareness grows in<br />

the target group and the customers become<br />

better at booking their transfer ticket earlier,<br />

preferably on swebus.se.<br />

a MOdeRn and enViROnMentaLLy<br />

FRiendLy BuS FLeet<br />

Swebus’ fleet of 90 buses is by far the largest<br />

in the sector and is continuously being<br />

renewed. This contributes to Swebus’ buses<br />

having the best statistics of all companies in<br />

the area of long-distance travel according to<br />

Svensk Bilprovning. During the fiscal year,<br />

13 new buses of the highest environmental<br />

classification were put into operation, which<br />

also reduce fuel consumption and emissions.<br />

All buses have safety belts and alcolocks (to<br />

prevent operating under the influence). As<br />

of 2009, Swebus also offers free Internet connections<br />

on all proprietary buses and several<br />

buses are equipped with charging outlets<br />

for telephones and computers.<br />

StROng BeLieF in eMpLOyeeS<br />

Swebus holds a strong belief in the company,<br />

its products and employees. The company<br />

has a low rate of employee turnover and sickness<br />

absence, and motivated employees. The<br />

percentage of employees with high long-term<br />

healthiness, meaning employees who have<br />

not had a sick day in 12 months, is more than<br />

50%. During the year, 98% of the employees<br />

said that there are conditions in their working<br />

situation that support motivation and<br />

commitment and that this means few obstacles<br />

to strong development and improvement<br />

work. Management often visits the operations<br />

and follows transports aimed at<br />

increasing participation in the company and<br />

promoting open internal communications.<br />

FutuRe FOcuS<br />

The year was characterized by long-term<br />

investments in the Arlanda service and better<br />

IT solutions. The next year will see extensive<br />

work focused on increasing the company’s<br />

market efficiency and cost flexibility.


getting aWay<br />

FOR the day<br />

frAmVAGNSVINJett<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 47


COrpOrAte gOverNANCe<br />

Corporate governance<br />

this report describes corporate governance, management and administration,<br />

as well as the manner in which the Board of Directors ensure the quality of the<br />

financial statements and its cooperation with the company’s independent auditors.<br />

this report for the <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> fiscal year includes the Board’s report on internal<br />

controls for financial reporting. <strong>Nobina</strong> has voluntarily elected to follow the<br />

Swedish Code of Corporate governance in certain respects and intends to comply<br />

with the code in full in the future.<br />

ARTICLES OF ASSOCIATION<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> (publ) is a public Swedish limited<br />

liability company. The Board of Directors<br />

has its registered offices in Stockholm<br />

Municipality and consists of at least three<br />

and at most ten members. The company<br />

shall, directly or indirectly, conduct operations<br />

in the business areas personal transport<br />

and goods transport and provide IT, personnel<br />

and local services, such as legal services to<br />

Group companies in the aforementioned<br />

business areas, and conduct compatible operations<br />

(although not operations that are regulated<br />

in legislation governing banking operations<br />

and credit market companies).<br />

The share capital shall be at least SEK<br />

216,000,000 and at most SEK 864,000,000.<br />

The number of shares shall amount to at least<br />

24,000,000 and at most 96,000,000. The<br />

Company’s shares shall be registered in a<br />

settlement register in accordance with the<br />

Swedish Financial Instruments Accounts<br />

Act (1998:1479).<br />

The company shall have at least one (1) and<br />

at most two (2) auditors with at most two (2)<br />

deputies. Authorised public accountants or<br />

registered auditing firms shall be appointed<br />

as auditors or deputies as appropriate.<br />

The Articles of Association in their entirety<br />

are available on the Group’s website at<br />

www.nobina.com.<br />

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting and shareholders<br />

The <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting is the company’s<br />

highest governing body. Shareholders exercise<br />

48 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

their decision rights at the <strong>Annual</strong> General<br />

Meeting in such matters as the composition<br />

of the Board of Directors and election of<br />

auditors. Major shareholders, or if the company<br />

implements a distribution of ownership,<br />

the Nomination Committee propose<br />

candidates for Board members, Chairman<br />

of the Board and auditors. Supplementary<br />

voting regulations may be found in shareholder<br />

agreements between certain shareholders.<br />

Resolutions at the <strong>Annual</strong> General<br />

Meeting are normally taken by simple majority.<br />

In certain cases, however, the Swedish<br />

Companies Act stipulates a certain level<br />

of attendance to reach a quorum or a special<br />

voting majority. At the <strong>Annual</strong> General<br />

Meeting, shareholders are able to pose<br />

questions about the company and its results<br />

for the preceding year. Representatives of<br />

the Board of Directors, executive management<br />

and the auditors are normally present<br />

to answer these questions.<br />

<strong>2010</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting<br />

At the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting on 10 May<br />

<strong>2010</strong>, 72.5% of the shares and the voting<br />

rights were represented. Representatives of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s Board of Directors and Group<br />

management were present.<br />

The following resolutions were passed:<br />

Birgitta Kantola, Rolf Lydahl, Thomas<br />

Naess, Jan Sjöqvist, and Jan Sundling were reelected<br />

as Board members. Jan Sjöqvist was<br />

re-elected as Board Chairman. Board fees of<br />

SEK 1,325,000 were approved for the period<br />

until the next <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting to<br />

be distributed with SEK 650,000 to the<br />

Chairman and SEK 225,000 each to Birgitta<br />

Kantola, Rolf Lydahl and Jan Sundling.<br />

It was resolved that fees to the auditors shall<br />

be paid against approved invoices.<br />

The Parent Company income statement<br />

and balance sheet and the consolidated<br />

income statement and balance sheet were<br />

adopted for the 2009/<strong>2010</strong> fiscal year and<br />

the Board and President were discharged<br />

from liability.<br />

In accordance with the proposal by the<br />

Board and the President, it was resolved that<br />

the year’s earnings or the year in the amount<br />

of SEK 5,753,578, and earnings brought<br />

forward from previous years, totalling SEK<br />

1,376,429,612 and the share premium<br />

reserve of SEK 611,623,153 be disposed such<br />

that SEK 1,993,806,343 be carried forward<br />

to a new account.<br />

It was further resolved to authorise the<br />

Board to decide in respect of new share issues<br />

and it was decided to issue warrants for new<br />

share subscription to a wholly owned subsidiary<br />

and permit the subsidiary’s transfer of<br />

these within the framework of the President’s<br />

employment contract.<br />

Guidelines for the remuneration of senior<br />

executives and the appointment of the<br />

Nomination Committee were approved.<br />

<strong>2011</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting<br />

The <strong>2011</strong> <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting will be<br />

held on 23 May <strong>2010</strong>. Information on time<br />

and place, how registration of participation


shall take place and how shareholders can<br />

submit a matter for consideration at the<br />

Meeting will be provided in the meeting<br />

notification in the customary manner.<br />

Information will also be available on the<br />

company’s website.<br />

NOMINATION COMMITTEE<br />

Guidelines for the Nomination Committee<br />

The Board of Directors proposes that the<br />

Meeting resolves that the Company shall<br />

have a Nomination Committee consisting<br />

of a representative of each of the three largest<br />

shareholders, based on the number of votes<br />

held, together with the Chairman of the<br />

Board of Directors. The names of the members<br />

of the Nomination Committee and the<br />

names of the shareholders they represent<br />

shall be made public not later than six<br />

months before the annual general meeting<br />

and be based on shareholding statistics provided<br />

by Euroclear Sweden <strong>AB</strong> per the last<br />

banking day in October <strong>2011</strong>. Provided the<br />

members of the Nomination Committee do<br />

not agree otherwise, the member representing<br />

the largest shareholder, based on the<br />

number of votes held, shall be appointed<br />

chairman of the Nomination Committee. In<br />

the event a shareholder who has appointed a<br />

member is no longer one of the three largest<br />

shareholders, based on the number of votes<br />

held, the appointed member shall resign and<br />

be replaced by a new member in accordance<br />

with the above procedure.<br />

The Nomination Committee shall prepare<br />

and submit proposals to the general meeting<br />

on; chairman of the meeting, members of the<br />

Board of Directors, chairman of the Board of<br />

Directors, board fees to the chairman and<br />

each of the members of the Board of Directors<br />

as well as, if any, remuneration for committee<br />

work, fees to the Company’s auditor<br />

and, when applicable, proposal regarding<br />

election of new auditor. Furthermore, the<br />

Nomination Committee shall prepare and<br />

submit proposals to the general meeting on<br />

principles for the composition of the Nomination<br />

Committee.<br />

The appointment of a Nomination Committee<br />

pursuant to this proposal is conditional upon<br />

that the number of shareholders of the Company,<br />

pursuant to the shareholder information<br />

kept by Euroclear Sweden <strong>AB</strong>, amounts<br />

to at least 100 shareholders. The company<br />

deviates from the Code of Corporate Governance<br />

since the number of shareholders is<br />

currently fewer than 100.<br />

BOARD OF DIRECTORS<br />

The Board of Directors’ assignment is to<br />

contribute to sound business development<br />

and control of the Group’s operations.<br />

The composition of <strong>Nobina</strong>’s Board, as well<br />

as Board fees and meeting attendance, are<br />

presented below.<br />

The Board’s responsibility<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s Board is responsible for the organisation<br />

and administration of the company’s<br />

affairs. The Board is also assigned to act as<br />

an Audit Committee and a Remuneration<br />

Committee.<br />

One of the Board’s most important assignments<br />

is to ensure a long-term strategy,<br />

management, follow-up and control of the<br />

Group’s daily operations with the objective<br />

of creating value for shareholders, customers,<br />

employees and other stakeholders.<br />

The Board appoints the President, who<br />

is also the CEO.<br />

Composition of the Board of Directors<br />

The Board shall consist of at least three<br />

and at most ten members. The Board shall<br />

appoint a Chairman, who according to<br />

Swedish law, may not at the same time be<br />

the company’s President. According to the<br />

Swedish Code of Corporate Governance,<br />

the Chairman shall be elected by the <strong>Annual</strong><br />

General Meeting.<br />

During the <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> fiscal year, the<br />

Board consisted of five members elected at<br />

the AGM. The Board met six times during<br />

the fiscal year.<br />

COrpOrAte gOverNANCe<br />

Board work<br />

The Board has adopted formal procedures<br />

for its work that describe how work shall be<br />

divided between the Board and its committees<br />

and the President.<br />

The formal work procedures are established<br />

each year by the Board and include the<br />

Board members. Instructions for the President<br />

and for financial reporting are described<br />

in appendices to the formal work procedures.<br />

The prevailing formal work procedures were<br />

adopted on June 29, <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

Remuneration of the Board of Directors<br />

Fees are paid to the Board Chairman and<br />

Board members according to resolutions by<br />

the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting and Extraordinary<br />

General Meetings. No remuneration is<br />

paid to the Board beyond that approved by<br />

the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting. The President<br />

is not paid Board fees.<br />

During the year, <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> paid pension<br />

compensation to certain former members of<br />

the Board of <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>, amounting<br />

to SEK 0.1 million (0.1). These former Board<br />

members are entitled to lifelong compensation<br />

from the company.<br />

REMUNERATION COMMITTEE<br />

The Board has decided to deviate from the Code<br />

of Corporate Governance until further notice<br />

regarding the Remuneration Committee.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> has not had a special Remuneration<br />

Committee, since the Board in its entirety<br />

considers remuneration issues in conjunction<br />

with an annual review of Board work.<br />

Remuneration of the Board, including the<br />

Chairman, is decided by the <strong>Annual</strong> General<br />

Meeting. Remuneration of the President and<br />

other senior executives shall be on market<br />

terms and consist of fixed and variable compensation<br />

plus other benefits and pension.<br />

Read more about the principles for the remuneration<br />

of the Board and senior executives<br />

in the sections “Board of Directors” and<br />

“President and Group management”. Prior<br />

to the next fiscal year, <strong>Nobina</strong> intends to<br />

appoint a Remuneration Committee with<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 49


COrpOrAte gOverNANCe<br />

clear instructions regarding work assignments,<br />

composition and decision-making<br />

authority according to the Swedish Code<br />

of Corporate Governance.<br />

AUDIT COMMITTEE<br />

The Board has elected to deviate from the<br />

Code of Corporate Governance for the time<br />

being with respect to the question of an Audit<br />

Committee. Currently, the Board in its<br />

entirety comprises the Group’s Audit Committee.<br />

The Board’s task is to quality-assure<br />

financial reporting in collaboration with<br />

company management and the auditors.<br />

The Board shall ensure that company<br />

management identifies the risks in operations.<br />

Furthermore, the Board of Directors<br />

shall stay informed of and provide comments<br />

on the organisation and prioritisation of<br />

external and internal auditing work in the<br />

Group to ensure that it maintains a high<br />

professional standard and is characterised<br />

by objectivity and integrity.<br />

The Board follows up what emerges from<br />

auditing work, including individual cases<br />

where auditing measures are deemed motivated.<br />

The Board meets with the external<br />

auditors at least once a year.<br />

Board members’ attendance in <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

50 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

AUDITORS<br />

The shareholders at the <strong>Annual</strong> General<br />

Meeting elect external independent auditors<br />

for a four-year period. The auditors report to<br />

the shareholders at the company’s general<br />

meetings.<br />

The <strong>2010</strong> AGM re-elected appointed Ernst<br />

& Young as the <strong>Nobina</strong>’s auditors for the<br />

coming four-year period. Ernst & Young <strong>AB</strong><br />

have been the company’s auditors since<br />

2005. The authorised public accountant in<br />

charge until further notice is Erik Åström,<br />

Ernst & Young <strong>AB</strong>. Erik Åström is a member<br />

of FAR (Swedish accountants’ professional<br />

organisation).<br />

The external auditors’ assignments consist<br />

of auditing the company’s annual report,<br />

consolidated accounts and financial records,<br />

as well as the administration of the Board<br />

and President.<br />

Ernst & Young report continually to the<br />

Group management and to local company<br />

management. Ernst & Young is commissioned<br />

only for consulting services determined<br />

and approved ahead by the Board.<br />

The auditors inform the Board of the of the<br />

annual audit planning, its scope and contents,<br />

and presents its conclusions. Also, the<br />

The Board met six times during the fiscal year<br />

Date Type Matters considered<br />

March, 8 extra by telephone Budget, ownership distribution<br />

March, 17 extra by telephone Ownership distribution<br />

Operations, annual report, terms and conditions for senior management,<br />

April, 21 Ordinary<br />

ownership distribution<br />

June, 29 Ordinary Statutory meeting, work order, operations, ownership distribution<br />

September, 27 Ordinary Operations, business plan, maintenance<br />

December, 20 Ordinary Operations, business plan, analysis, procurements<br />

Name Born Elected Board Meetings AGM<br />

Jan Sjöqvist, Chairman 1948 2005 6 of 6 Yes<br />

Jan Sundling, member 1947 2005 6 of 6 No<br />

rolf lydahl, member 1945 2005 6 of 6 No<br />

thomas Naess, member 1972 2009 6 of 6 No<br />

Birgitta Kantola, member 1948 2009 6 of 6 No<br />

Board is informed regarding assignments<br />

that were performed in addition to auditing<br />

services, compensation for such assignments<br />

and other circumstances of importance for<br />

assessing the auditors’ independence.<br />

PRESIDENT AND GROUP MANAGEMENT<br />

The President is appointed by the Board and is<br />

responsible for ensuring that daily operations<br />

are conducted in accordance with the Board’s<br />

guidelines and instructions. Each company’s<br />

business area manager reports directly to the<br />

President and is responsible in turn for ensuring<br />

that instructions and guidelines are followed.<br />

Since 1 March <strong>2010</strong>, <strong>Nobina</strong>’s management<br />

consists of the President, the CFO<br />

and two business area managers.<br />

Group management normally meets once<br />

a week and works in line with the company’s<br />

collective policies and applies prevailing<br />

instructions. The President in consultation<br />

with Group management takes all decisions.<br />

Guidelines for terms and remuneration<br />

of senior management<br />

The company strives to offer remuneration<br />

and other terms of employment that are market<br />

based and competitive in order to ensure<br />

that the company can attract and retain competent<br />

personnel. Remuneration to the President<br />

and other persons in company management<br />

shall consist of fixed salary, variable<br />

compensation, pension and other customary<br />

benefits. In addition, the President shall have<br />

the right to a special bonus as a result of entering<br />

a new employment contract.<br />

The fixed salary is reassessed as a general rule<br />

once a year and shall take into consideration<br />

the individual’s responsibility and performance.<br />

The fixed salary shall be competitive.<br />

Variable remuneration shall be based on the<br />

individual’s performance and the company’s<br />

performance in relation to predetermined<br />

and established goals. Evaluation of these<br />

goals shall take place annually. Variable


emuneration shall also include a cash bonus<br />

as determined by the Board and, for the President,<br />

share-based payment of which remuneration<br />

in shares may be able to amount to a<br />

maximum of 140% of the President’s fixed<br />

annual salary to be paid out over three years.<br />

Share-based payment shall be conditional<br />

upon the AGM taking the required decisions<br />

for delivery of shares according to the established<br />

share-based payment.<br />

In the event of termination of employment,<br />

senior executives in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group are<br />

entitled to at most 12 months’ compensation.<br />

As a basic principle, a six month mutual<br />

termination period applies between the company<br />

and the executive. In addition, a maximum<br />

of six months’ compensation may be<br />

paid in the event that the company has terminated<br />

employment. In addition, a maximum<br />

of six months of remuneration is payable<br />

should employment be terminated by<br />

the company. Senior executives are the Parent<br />

Company’s President and Finance Director<br />

and the presidents of subsidiaries.<br />

Pension and terms for the President<br />

The pension age for the president is 62 years in<br />

the Parent Company. The pension payments<br />

for the company are reduced to 90% of salary<br />

for retirement between the ages of 62 and 63,<br />

80% between 63 and 64 and 70% between<br />

64 and 65. <strong>Nobina</strong>’s commitment to the President<br />

ends at retirement, at the age of 65. Pension<br />

costs consist of a defined contribution<br />

pension, in which the premium is 30% of<br />

pension-entitling salary. Pension-entitling<br />

salary refers to basic salary as long as the President<br />

remains employed by the company.<br />

Termination salary is pension entitling.<br />

The President has the right to 30 vacation<br />

days each year. The President is insured for<br />

90% of salary during a maximum of 365 days<br />

per calendar year without a qualifying period.<br />

In addition to the taxable benefits described<br />

above, benefits include health insurance and<br />

holdings of shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Warrants programmes<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> previously issued three warrants<br />

programmes, Programme 1, issued on 24<br />

June 2005 and comprising 1,052,000 warrants,<br />

Programme 2, issued on 8 November<br />

2005 and comprising 304,569 warrants,<br />

and Programme 3, issued on 19 January<br />

2009 and comprising 1,640,925 warrants.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> has repurchased all issued subscription<br />

warrants for the company. Payment<br />

for redemption of the warrants issued in<br />

2005 comprised cash payment based on an<br />

independent market valuation of the company’s<br />

common share. The payment for<br />

redemption of the subscription warrants<br />

issued during 2009 was cash payment<br />

according to the warrants’ nominal value.<br />

Holders of the issued warrants also pledged<br />

on the redemption date to reinvest a portion<br />

of the payment in shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ REPORT ON<br />

INTERNAL CONTROLS<br />

The President and senior management shall<br />

manage work to prepare reliable financial<br />

accounts for external publication in an efficient<br />

manner. Reliable financial reporting<br />

for <strong>Nobina</strong> means that:<br />

• accounting policies are appropriate and in<br />

compliance with International Financial<br />

<strong>Report</strong>ing Standards (IFRS) and the<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act<br />

• the financial accounts are informative and<br />

at a sufficiently detailed level<br />

• that financial reporting reflects underlying<br />

transactions and events in a correct manner<br />

and the company’s actual earnings,<br />

financial position and cash flow with<br />

reasonable assurance.<br />

Control environment<br />

The company’s controls are based on a common<br />

and process-oriented management system.<br />

The objective is to ensure a company<br />

culture that is characterised by integrity and<br />

that ethical values are not compromised.<br />

COrpOrAte gOverNANCe<br />

The management system includes the<br />

employees’ experience, expertise, attitudes,<br />

ethical values and perception of how responsibility<br />

and authority are distributed within<br />

the organisation. It is the management system<br />

that illustrates how the Group works in<br />

important areas. The control environment is<br />

characterised by the main business processes<br />

and the associated Group policies and<br />

instructions, as well as local instructions.<br />

Process owners propose preventative measures,<br />

development and improvement of the<br />

process. Business leaders are responsible for<br />

introduction, follow-up and correction of<br />

deficiencies.<br />

Risk assessment<br />

The risks that arise in conjunction with<br />

financial reporting are primarily fraud, loss<br />

or embezzlement of assets, unauthorised<br />

favouring of another party at the company’s<br />

expense and other risks that relate to significant<br />

errors in the financial accounts.<br />

The valuation of assets, liabilities, revenues<br />

and costs or deviations from disclosure<br />

requirements are some examples.<br />

The Group applies the same type of risk<br />

assessment for all processes. This takes place<br />

in three steps and is initiated through<br />

management’s review.<br />

The basis for the assessment is an analysis<br />

of the Group’s present situation and management’s<br />

previous experience. The risks that are<br />

deemed to significantly affect financial<br />

reporting are classified as high risks. The<br />

risks that receive the opposite assessment<br />

are classed as low risks.<br />

At the second stage, high risks in operations<br />

are evaluated in conjunction with a survey of<br />

sub-processes. Competent expertise from the<br />

processes is used for a careful evaluation of all<br />

risks in the particular process.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 51


COrpOrAte gOverNANCe<br />

The work procedure is as follows:<br />

1. Identify risks and assign them to the<br />

relevant process stage:<br />

• Describe current preventative measures<br />

• Evaluate the probability of occurrence/<br />

impact/probability of discovery<br />

• Calculate risk values<br />

2. Propose improvement measures in<br />

cases of high-risk values<br />

This means that management’s assessment of<br />

a risk may receive a lower value in operations,<br />

just as a risk that was not assessed by management<br />

may receive a high value in operations.<br />

This final step in this work is to compile all<br />

risk values that emerge from the survey and<br />

to present them at a Group management<br />

meeting. Management prioritises risks with<br />

high values and allocates resources to handle<br />

them. The risks that received low values are<br />

archived on a risk list for renewed assessment,<br />

at latest in conjunction with next<br />

year’s risk assessment.<br />

Risk assessment according to this method<br />

was started in 2005 and supplemented in<br />

2006. In the review in 2008, previous years’<br />

risks were deemed to still apply in the same<br />

priority order.<br />

the share<br />

Common shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> total 24,928,139,<br />

each with a par value of SeK 9. thus, the<br />

share capital amounts to SeK 224,353,251.<br />

Share capital remained unchanged<br />

during the year. Share capital and<br />

warrants are described in Note 7 and 21.<br />

International investment funds are the<br />

primary shareholders in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> with<br />

a combined holding of about 94%. the<br />

largest holders of <strong>Nobina</strong> common shares<br />

are funds managed by Bluebay Asset<br />

Management, Avenue Capital,<br />

52 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Control activities<br />

Risk assessment provides an opportunity to<br />

take proactive measures. High risks are prioritised,<br />

which results in measures to reduce<br />

or eliminate them. Controls and checkpoints<br />

ensure that preventative measures are followed<br />

up in all Group companies.<br />

The company has a number of established<br />

controls for approving and attesting business<br />

transactions. In daily work and in preparing<br />

the closing accounts and financial reports,<br />

significant accounting principles are applied<br />

in all Group companies. Established routines<br />

control the review and analysis of financial<br />

reports at all levels within the Group, which<br />

is important for being able to ensure the<br />

correctness of reports.<br />

Control takes place through approved<br />

policies and instructions that were all<br />

developed by Group-wide process teams. The<br />

teams also decide on important control points<br />

to ensure correctness in financial reporting.<br />

Decision paths, authorizations and<br />

responsibilities at different levels in the<br />

organisations are defined together with prevailing<br />

policies and instructions, which<br />

include an attest instruction. No special<br />

IT controls are performed, and no external<br />

parties are employed.<br />

vpv Bankiers, Fidelity Funds and thames<br />

river Capital.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s shares are registered with<br />

euroclear and most of the approximately<br />

30 shareholders hold their shares through<br />

the trust departments of various banks.<br />

there is no organized trading of the<br />

company’s shares on any stock exchange<br />

or other market. However, some OtCbased<br />

share trading is conducted in<br />

london, where a few stockbrokers trade<br />

on their own initiative.<br />

Information and communication<br />

The communication plan ensures that communication<br />

of control points reaches the<br />

correct target group.<br />

Information in the control point shows<br />

how the company acts at the control point<br />

and how deviations are reported and followed<br />

up. The process owner is responsible<br />

for ensuring that information on common<br />

methods reaches the entire organisation.<br />

The line organisation holds regular meetings<br />

on a function or area basis. New policies<br />

and instructions are always presented at<br />

these meetings as part of their introduction.<br />

The written communication primarily takes<br />

place through an intranet where news is<br />

updated directly and there are both a<br />

management system and Group policy<br />

documents and instructions.<br />

Follow-up and monitoring<br />

The financial risks that are deemed as high<br />

are followed up, primarily within each process.<br />

A control function is built into the risk’s<br />

control point, which means that it is the<br />

operation itself that ensures that handling<br />

functions as planned.<br />

The objective of monitoring and supervision<br />

is to ensure a stable control environment<br />

in the company and to check that application<br />

and follow-up are performed in important<br />

areas of operations. The principle applied in<br />

the company is that every process must have<br />

control functions that support monitoring<br />

activities. The internal audit is a supplementary<br />

instrument in this connection for monitoring<br />

that operations are conducted according<br />

to approved decisions.<br />

Regular internal operational reviews are<br />

conducted by internally trained personnel to<br />

ensure that control points function and are<br />

effective.<br />

The results from the internal reviews are<br />

reported to both the Board and executive<br />

management.<br />

Changes in the organisation that may<br />

affect the internal controls are assessed each<br />

year and reported to the Board.


Auditor’s statement on the<br />

Corporate governance report<br />

To the Board of Directors of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

Corp. Reg. No. 556576-4569<br />

It is the Board of Directors that is responsible for the Corporate Governance <strong>Report</strong> for financial year March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

through February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, on pages 48–52 and has opted in certain respects to voluntarily follow the Swedish Code<br />

of Corporate Governance.<br />

As a basis for our opinion that the Corporate Governance <strong>Report</strong> has been prepared and is consistent with the annual<br />

accounts and the consolidated accounts, we have read the Corporate Governance <strong>Report</strong> and assessed its statutory<br />

content based on our knowledge of the company.<br />

In our opinion, the Corporate Governance <strong>Report</strong> has been prepared and its statutory content is consistent with<br />

the annual accounts and the consolidated accounts.<br />

Stockholm, April 29, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Ernst & Young <strong>AB</strong><br />

Erik Åström<br />

Authorized Public Accountant<br />

COrpOrAte gOverNANCe<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 53


BOArD OF DIreCtOrS<br />

Board of Directors and Senior Management<br />

JAN SJöqvIST<br />

Chairman of the Board since 2005.<br />

year of birth: 1948<br />

Previous assignments: president and<br />

CeO of NCC.<br />

Dependence status vis-à-vis the<br />

company: Independent in relation to<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, its management and major<br />

shareholders.<br />

Education: MSc., gothenburg school<br />

of Business, economics and law.<br />

Shareholding: 65,363 shares<br />

ThOMAS NAESS<br />

Member of the Board since December<br />

2009. Deputy member of the Board<br />

since 2005.<br />

year of birth: 1972<br />

Other assignments: employed at<br />

BlueBay since 2004.<br />

Previous assignments: employee at<br />

Deutsche Bank in New York and london<br />

1997–2004.<br />

Dependence status vis-à-vis the<br />

company: Independent in relation to<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> and its management, but<br />

dependent in relation to the major<br />

shareholders in <strong>Nobina</strong> as an Investment<br />

expert at BlueBay Asset Management.<br />

Education: BSc. double major degree in<br />

Finance and economics, David eccles<br />

School of Business at the university of utah.<br />

Shareholding: -<br />

54 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

BIRGITTA KANTOLA<br />

Member of the Board since December 2009.<br />

year of birth: 1948<br />

Other assignments: Managing partner<br />

at Birka Consulting <strong>AB</strong> and member of the<br />

Boards of Stora enso Oyj, Helsinki and the<br />

NASDAQ OMX group, New York, and Skandinaviska<br />

enskilda Banken <strong>AB</strong>, Stockholm.<br />

Previous assignments: vice president<br />

and CFO of International Finance Corporation<br />

(World Bank group), Washington D.C<br />

and executive vice president of Nordic<br />

Investment bank.<br />

Dependence status vis-à-vis the<br />

company: Independent in relation to<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, its management and major<br />

shareholders.<br />

Education: Master of laws, university<br />

of Helsinki.<br />

Shareholding: -<br />

JAN SUNDLING<br />

Member of the Board since 2005.<br />

year of birth: 1947<br />

Other assignments: Chairman of the<br />

Association of Swedish train Operators,<br />

Infranord <strong>AB</strong> and the Swedish Maritime<br />

Administration, and tAF/tSI. Member of<br />

the Board of Corem property group <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Previous assignments: president of<br />

green Cargo, 2001–2007.<br />

Dependence status vis-à-vis the<br />

company: Independent in relation to<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, its management and major<br />

shareholders.<br />

Education: Qualified ship’s captain and<br />

economist with post-secondary education<br />

in economics at Frans Schartau.<br />

Shareholding: 13,779 shares<br />

ROLF LyDAhL<br />

Member of the Board since 2005.<br />

year of birth: 1945<br />

Other assignments: Chairman of the<br />

Board of IndeCap <strong>AB</strong> and Jernhusen <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Member of the boards of vasakronan <strong>AB</strong><br />

(publ).<br />

Previous assignments: president and<br />

CeO of probo, executive vice president<br />

of Nordstiernan and responsible for<br />

Credit Suisse’s representative office in<br />

Stockholm.<br />

Dependence status vis-à-vis the<br />

company: Independent in relation to<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, its management and major<br />

shareholders.<br />

Education: MSc., Stockholm School<br />

of economics.<br />

Shareholding: 14,696 shares


RAGNAR NORBäCK<br />

Title: CeO and president of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> since 2004. Member of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s senior management<br />

team since 2004.<br />

year of birth: 1955<br />

Other assignments: Board<br />

member of Nilson group <strong>AB</strong><br />

and its holding company<br />

Skofemman <strong>AB</strong> and N3 group<br />

<strong>AB</strong>. Chairman of rAlt <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

these include CeO at American<br />

express Corporate travel Nordic,<br />

and CeO at American express<br />

Nordic, volvo Aero engine Services,<br />

linjebuss trafik <strong>AB</strong>, gl<strong>AB</strong><br />

(Adidas) and tNt Ipec Sweden.<br />

Education: Civil engineer,<br />

logistics, Chalmers Institute<br />

of technology.<br />

Shareholding: 101,112 shares<br />

MARTIN PAGROTSKy<br />

Title: Senior legal Counsel,<br />

employed since 2006.<br />

year of birth: 1974<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

Member of the Swedish Bar<br />

Association, Assistant legal<br />

Counsel at Advokatfirman<br />

vinge, Clerk at the Karlstad<br />

Administrative Court.<br />

Education: Bachelor of laws,<br />

Stockholm university<br />

Shareholding: 1,667 shares<br />

JAN BOSAEUS<br />

Title: Business Area Head,<br />

regional traffic since <strong>2010</strong>. Managing<br />

Director <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong><br />

since 2002 and vice president of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> since 2009. Member<br />

of <strong>Nobina</strong>’s senior management<br />

team since 2009.<br />

year of birth: 1960<br />

Other assignments: Chairman<br />

of the Board of transportgruppen<br />

tgS Service Aktiebolag and<br />

Bussarbetsgivarna BuA Service<br />

Aktiebolag. Board member at<br />

the Confederation of Swedish<br />

enterprise. Member of Alecta’s<br />

Council of Administration.<br />

Previous assignments: Board<br />

member of Svenska Bussbranschens<br />

riksförbunds Service<br />

Aktiebolag. technical director at<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong>. Member of<br />

the senior management team of<br />

Kalmar lMv Sverige <strong>AB</strong> responsible<br />

for aftersales service. previously<br />

employed at SMA Maskin<br />

<strong>AB</strong> and engson Maskin <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

JOAKIM PALMKvIST<br />

Title: Business Area Head,<br />

Interregional since <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

Managing Director of Swebus<br />

express <strong>AB</strong> since 2006.<br />

Member of <strong>Nobina</strong>’s senior<br />

management team since <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

year of birth: 1963<br />

Other assignments: Board<br />

member of Samtrafiken i<br />

Sverige <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Previous assignments: CeO,<br />

elgiganten <strong>AB</strong>; CeO, ticket<br />

resebyråer <strong>AB</strong>; CeO, Synoptik<br />

and purchasing Manager,<br />

ONOFF <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Education: Business Administration<br />

graduate, IHM Business<br />

School.<br />

Shareholding: 8,334 shares<br />

SJUR BRENDEN<br />

Title: Managing Director<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark since <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

year of birth: 1961<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

Deputy Board member of<br />

transportbedriftenes landsforening.<br />

previously employed<br />

at linjebuss Sverige <strong>AB</strong> and<br />

AS Sportveisbussene.<br />

Education: Business<br />

Administration graduate,<br />

Sundsvall university.<br />

Shareholding: 10,428 shares<br />

Jan Bosaeus, Continued:<br />

Education: Business Administration<br />

graduate, IHM Business<br />

School.<br />

Shareholding: 26,000 shares<br />

ANN-MARIE SILOKANGAS<br />

Title: Hr Manager at <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

since 2007.<br />

year of birth: 1963<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

Hr Manager/Site Manager at<br />

Avure technologies <strong>AB</strong>, CM of<br />

the Nuance group, Hr Manager<br />

of Siemens Business Services;<br />

and recruitment & training at<br />

McKinsey & Company.<br />

Education: Business Administration<br />

graduate, IHM Business<br />

School and Bachelor of physiotherapy,<br />

Karolinska Institutet.<br />

Shareholding: -<br />

ANNIKA KOLMERT<br />

Title: Head of Management<br />

Systems since 2008.<br />

year of birth: 1973<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

process Manager, Accounting<br />

and Controlling DHl express,<br />

Financial Controller, Skandia liv.<br />

Education: Master of<br />

economics, Stockholm<br />

university.<br />

Shareholding: 1,667 shares<br />

PER SKäRGåRD<br />

Title: CFO at <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> since<br />

2004, vice-president of <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

<strong>AB</strong> since 2009. Member of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s senior management<br />

team since 2004.<br />

year of birth: 1957<br />

Previous assignments: CFO at<br />

DHl Nordic <strong>AB</strong>, Danzas-ASg <strong>AB</strong>,<br />

Net International, Helene Curtis<br />

Scandinavia, Warner lambert<br />

Scandinavia. CFO at <strong>AB</strong> pripps<br />

Bryggerier. economic planner<br />

at länsförsäkringsbolagen.<br />

Education: Business Administration<br />

graduate, Stockholm<br />

university. Chairman of Svenska<br />

Civilekonomföreningen and<br />

Civilekonomernas Service <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Shareholding: 35,745 shares<br />

SeNIOr MANAgeMeNt<br />

STEIN NILSEN<br />

Title: Managing Director of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway since <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

year of birth: 1965<br />

Other assignments: Board<br />

member of Sivile lufthavn<br />

AS and Sunnhordaland<br />

lufthavn AS.<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

SAS group and NSB group.<br />

Education: Business Administration<br />

graduate, Nordland<br />

university; Bachelor of laws,<br />

Oslo university<br />

Shareholding: -<br />

TOM WARD<br />

Title: CeO and Board member<br />

of <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland since 2004.<br />

year of birth: 1956<br />

Other assignments:<br />

Board member of Suomen<br />

paikallisliikenneliitto ry and<br />

Alt-palvelu Oy.<br />

Previous assignments:<br />

employed at Huolintakeskus Oy,<br />

Scansped Oy, MpS Management<br />

Consulting, and profit-centre<br />

manager at Oy Scan-Auto Ab.<br />

Education: Business Administration<br />

graduate, Business<br />

College of lahti (lahden<br />

Kauppaoppilaitos).<br />

Shareholding: 8,250 shares<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 55


AccOuNts<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> report and consolidated financial statements<br />

ADMINIstrAtION repOrt<br />

The Board of Directors and the CEO of<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> (publ) hereby present the annual<br />

report and consolidated financial statements<br />

for operations during the fiscal year from<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong> to February 28, <strong>2011</strong>. The<br />

results of the year’s operations for the Group<br />

and Parent Company are presented in the<br />

following income statements and balance<br />

sheets, cash-flow statements, statements of<br />

changes in shareholders’ equity and notes.<br />

All items are expressed in SEK millions<br />

unless otherwise stated. The fiscal year covered<br />

by this annual report ended on 28 February<br />

<strong>2011</strong> and is referred to as <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>.<br />

OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE<br />

The company is a public limited company<br />

(Corporate Registration Number 556576-<br />

4569, domiciled in Stockholm), owned by<br />

about 30 shareholders and is the overall Parent<br />

Company in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group. During the<br />

year, the company worked with a strategic advisor,<br />

Perella Weinberg together with Lazard, to<br />

review the future ownership situation.<br />

NATURE AND FOCUS OF OPERATIONS<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> (formerly Concordia Bus <strong>AB</strong>) is<br />

the largest player in the Nordic region in<br />

public bus transport, with a business concept<br />

to simplify the customer’s everyday<br />

travel. The operations include regional traffic<br />

in the Nordic region under contract and<br />

interregional traffic in Sweden. The Group<br />

comprises the operating companies <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sverige <strong>AB</strong> and Swebus Express <strong>AB</strong> in Swe-<br />

56 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

den, <strong>Nobina</strong> Norge A/S, <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland<br />

Oy Ab and <strong>Nobina</strong> Danmark A/S. With<br />

approximately 275 million passengers annually,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is one of Europe’s ten largest<br />

public transport companies.<br />

The wholly owned operating subsidiaries<br />

are owned via a subordinate holding company,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe Holding <strong>AB</strong>, which in turn<br />

owns the subsidiaries’ operating Parent Company,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> (publ). <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

also has two wholly owned subsidiaries for<br />

management of the bus fleet, <strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet <strong>AB</strong><br />

and <strong>Nobina</strong> Busco <strong>AB</strong>, which leases buses to<br />

the operating companies.<br />

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS DURING THE YEAR<br />

Revenue trend<br />

The company’s revenue increased SEK 389<br />

million, or 6.2%, from SEK 6,308 million<br />

for the fiscal year ended February 28, <strong>2010</strong>,<br />

to SEK 6,697 million for the fiscal year ending<br />

February 28, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

Regional traffic – Sweden<br />

Revenue from regional bus traffic in Sweden<br />

increased SEK 232 million, or 5.5%, from<br />

SEK 4,227 million for the fiscal year ended<br />

February 28, <strong>2010</strong>, to SEK 4,459 million for<br />

the fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

The reason for the increase was primarily the<br />

full-year effect for traffic contracts that<br />

began the previous year and newly started<br />

contracts during the year.<br />

Regional traffic – Denmark<br />

Revenue from regional bus traffic in<br />

Denmark increased SEK 131 million, or<br />

68.2%, from SEK 192 million for the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2010</strong>, to SEK 323<br />

million for the fiscal year ending February<br />

28, <strong>2011</strong>. This increase was primarily<br />

attributable to growth in the contract<br />

portfolio and a full-year impact of previously<br />

secured contracts.<br />

Regional traffic – Norway<br />

Revenue from regional bus traffic in Norway<br />

rose SEK 50 million, or 6.8%, from SEK<br />

733 million for the fiscal year ended February<br />

28, <strong>2010</strong> to SEK 783 million for the fiscal<br />

year ending February 28, <strong>2011</strong>. The increase<br />

was primarily attributable to growth in the<br />

contract portfolio.<br />

Regional traffic – Finland<br />

Revenue from regional bus traffic in Finland<br />

decreased SEK 45 million, or 5.6%, from<br />

SEK 801 million for the fiscal year ended<br />

February 28, <strong>2010</strong>, to SEK 756 million for<br />

the fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

This decrease was primarily attributable to<br />

a negative exchange rate change between<br />

EUR and SEK.<br />

Interregional traffic – Sweden<br />

Revenue from interregional traffic increased<br />

SEK 18 million, or 4.4%, to SEK 430<br />

million for the fiscal year ending February<br />

28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared with SEK 412 million<br />

SEK M, unless otherwise stated 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11<br />

sales 5,075 5,406 6,134 6,308 6,697<br />

Operating profit/loss –24 161 206 192 232<br />

profit/loss from net financial items –246 –16 –233 121 59<br />

profit/loss after tax –245 –15 –239 121 59<br />

cash flow 117 211 –59 –67 –91<br />

cash and cash equivalents * 351 529 558 472 335<br />

equity/assets ratio, % 6,7 5,8 –2,7 2,8 3,4<br />

shareholders’ equity 227 210 –117 137 178<br />

Number of buses 3,503 3,376 3,505 3,553 3,618<br />

Average numbers of employees 6,814 7,021 7,606 7,318 7,714<br />

Income/bus 1.45 1.60 1.75 1.78 1.85<br />

* Including restricted funds.


for the fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

This increase was primarily attributable to<br />

an increase in the number of passengers at<br />

the beginning of the year during the period<br />

of flight groundings due to the ash cloud<br />

from the volcanic eruption on Iceland.<br />

Personnel costs<br />

Personnel costs rose SEK 133 million, or<br />

4.1%, to SEK 3,408 million for the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared<br />

with SEK 3,275 million for the fiscal year<br />

ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. This was primarily<br />

due to increase in salaries and payroll<br />

overheads resulting from larger traffic production<br />

and more drivers engaged in<br />

regional traffic contracts as well as agreed<br />

salary increases.<br />

Fuel, tires and other consumables<br />

Costs for fuel, tires and other consumables<br />

increased SEK 136 million, or 9.9%, to SEK<br />

1,507 million for the fiscal year ended February<br />

28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared with SEK 1,371 million for<br />

the fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. This<br />

increase was largely due to an increase in traffic<br />

production and higher costs for fuel.<br />

Other expenses<br />

Other external expenses comprise primarily<br />

of operational leasing costs and rents, as well<br />

as costs for procured consulting, auditing,<br />

financial and legal services, as well as advertisement.<br />

Other external expenses increased<br />

SEK 44 million, or 3.9%, to SEK 1,171 million<br />

for the fiscal year ended February 28,<br />

<strong>2011</strong>, compared with SEK 1,127 million for<br />

the fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

The increase was primarily related to higher<br />

costs except for operating leasing costs.<br />

Depreciation/amortization and impairments<br />

Depreciation and impairments largely comprise<br />

depreciation of buses and other vehicles,<br />

but are also related to the depreciation<br />

of equipment, tools, inventories and fittings,<br />

fixtures and buildings. Depreciation/amortization<br />

and impairment rose SEK 32 million,<br />

or 9.4%, to SEK 372 million for the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared<br />

with SEK 340 million for the fiscal year ending<br />

February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. The increase was pri-<br />

marily attributable to a rise in the number<br />

of financially leased buses.<br />

Operating profit/loss trend<br />

The company’s operating profit increased<br />

SEK 40 million, or 20.8%, to SEK 232 million<br />

for the fiscal year ended February 28,<br />

<strong>2011</strong>, compared with SEK 192 million for the<br />

fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. This<br />

increase was primarily due to improvements<br />

in operating earnings of SEK 37 million and<br />

the fact that non-recurring costs of SEK 28<br />

million were applied the previous year for the<br />

name change of Group companies, restructuring<br />

of the central organization and a buyback<br />

of option programs. Estimated costs for<br />

extraordinary winter conditions in the fourth<br />

quarter in the form of fuel consumption,<br />

damage, maintenance and cancelled departures<br />

increased SEK 25 million to SEK 62<br />

million for the fiscal year ended February 28,<br />

<strong>2011</strong>, compared to SEK 37 million for the<br />

fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>.<br />

Regional traffic – Sweden<br />

Operating profit increased SEK 37 million,<br />

or 18.0%, to SEK 242 million in the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared<br />

with SEK 205 million for the fiscal year ending<br />

February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. This was primarily<br />

due to improved operating earnings from<br />

efficiency enhancements in operations<br />

despite extraordinary winter expenses during<br />

the fourth quarter.<br />

Regional traffic – Denmark<br />

The operating loss increased SEK 23 million,<br />

or 76.0%, to SEK 53 million in the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared<br />

with SEK 30 million for the fiscal year ending<br />

February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. This was mainly<br />

attributable to a provision for onerous contracts<br />

for the first traffic contract that commenced<br />

in October 2008 as well as higher<br />

operating deficits and higher extraordinary<br />

winter expenses in the fourth quarter.<br />

Regional traffic – Norway<br />

The operating profit was unchanged from<br />

the fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>,<br />

and amounted to SEK 21 million for the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

AccOuNts<br />

Regional traffic – Finland<br />

The operating profit from regional traffic<br />

services in Finland was unchanged from the<br />

fiscal year ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>, and<br />

amounted to SEK 7 million for the fiscal<br />

year ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>. Improved<br />

operating earnings from efficiency enhancements<br />

in operations were countered by<br />

higher extraordinary winter expenses in<br />

the fourth quarter.<br />

Interregional traffic – Sweden<br />

The operating profit decreased SEK 2 million,<br />

or 5.0%, to SEK 40 million for the fiscal<br />

year ending February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared<br />

with SEK 42 million for the fiscal year<br />

ending February 28, <strong>2010</strong>. This decrease was<br />

primarily attributable to an increase in the<br />

number of passengers at the beginning of the<br />

year during the period of flight groundings<br />

due to the ash cloud from the volcanic eruption<br />

on Iceland, which was countered by a<br />

smaller number of passengers in the second<br />

half of the year.<br />

Central functions and other items<br />

Central functions and other items include<br />

expenses related to the head office. The net<br />

expense (operating result) for central functions<br />

and other items decreased as a result of a<br />

reduced central organization SEK 28 million<br />

or 52.8% to SEK 25 million for the fiscal year<br />

ended February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, compared with<br />

SEK 53 million in the preceding year.<br />

Profit from financial investments<br />

Interest expenses and similar expense items<br />

increased SEK 1 million, or 10.0%, to SEK 11<br />

for the fiscal year, compared with SEK 10 million<br />

in the preceding year. Interest expenses<br />

and similar expense items increased SEK 103<br />

million to SEK 184 for the fiscal year, compared<br />

with SEK 81 million in the preceding<br />

year. This increase was primarily due to a small<br />

value increase in the SEK against the EUR,<br />

which resulted in unrealized exchange gains of<br />

SEK 66 million, compared with an unrealized<br />

exchange gain of SEK 168 million in the<br />

preceding year.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 57


AccOuNts<br />

Tax<br />

Tax expenses for the year amounted to SEK 0<br />

million (6), through the utilization of accumulated<br />

loss carry-forwards. Group Management<br />

has decided not to capitalize any part of<br />

the current accumulated loss carry-forwards,<br />

considering the Group’s exchange rate<br />

changes on the bond loan.<br />

Profit for the year<br />

The company reported profit of SEK 59<br />

million for the fiscal year, compared with a<br />

profit of SEK 121 million in the preceding<br />

year.<br />

Shareholders’ equity<br />

Shareholders’ equity increased by SEK 51<br />

million to SEK 178 million. Profit for the<br />

year amounted to SEK 59 million, whereby<br />

the equity/assets ratio increased from 2.8%<br />

to 3.4% for the fiscal year.<br />

MARKET<br />

The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group is active in public bus<br />

transports, most of which consist of publicly<br />

tendered transport services that are operated<br />

by subsidiaries in the different countries. In<br />

addition, long-distance bus traffic is conducted<br />

in open competition, mainly in Sweden.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> is the largest company that<br />

operates public bus transport in the Nordic<br />

region and one of the ten largest public<br />

traffic companies in Europe. All operations<br />

require permits for operation of passenger<br />

transports. All subsidiaries hold the necessary<br />

permits.<br />

FINANCING, LIQUIDITY AND CASH FLOW<br />

The Group’s financial expenses increased<br />

SEK 1 million during the year, from<br />

SEK 249 million to SEK 250 million.<br />

The Group’s exchange gain amounted to<br />

SEK 66 million (168). Of this total,<br />

SEK 72 million (175) is an unrealized<br />

exchange gain on <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>’s<br />

bond loans of EUR 97 million.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>’s sole assets are shares in<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe Holding <strong>AB</strong> and <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Fleet <strong>AB</strong>. <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe Holding <strong>AB</strong> in<br />

turn owns <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>, which is<br />

the Parent Company for all the Group’s<br />

operating companies.<br />

58 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group has historically accumulated<br />

significant losses. <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>’s<br />

bond loans mature for payment on August 1,<br />

2012. <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe has the possibility to<br />

repay the bond loan prior to this date and if<br />

this occurs before August 1, <strong>2011</strong>, an additional<br />

1% of the bond loan’s remaining<br />

nominal value will fall due (currently EUR<br />

97 million). When the bond loan was<br />

granted, the issue price was discounted by<br />

7.5%, which is why the original nominal<br />

bond liability of EUR 121.5 million contributed<br />

EUR 112.4 million in loan capital to<br />

the company. The issue discount of EUR 9.1<br />

million was recognized in the balance sheet<br />

and amortized over the maturity of the loan.<br />

The non-depreciated amount will be recognized<br />

as income in the event that the bond<br />

loan is redeemed in advance.<br />

INVESTMENTS AND DEPRECIATION<br />

The Group’s investments during the year<br />

consisted primarily of bus acquisitions. During<br />

the year, 273 (339) buses were acquired<br />

through financial leasing, while the other<br />

buses 122 (41) were financed in cash. In<br />

total, the Group obtained 395 (380) buses<br />

during the year. Cash-financed investments<br />

amounted to SEK 180 million (135). Via its<br />

subsidiary <strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet <strong>AB</strong>, the Group<br />

entered into financial lease contracts<br />

amounting to SEK 731 million (971). These<br />

are classified as non-current assets in the<br />

balance sheet. The lease commitment was<br />

recognized as a liability in the balance sheet.<br />

Depreciation and interest expenses are<br />

recognized in the income statement. During<br />

the year, the Group sold 330 buses (332)<br />

for a value equal to SEK 16 million (26).<br />

The sale resulted in a capital loss of<br />

SEK 7 million (loss: 3).<br />

EMPLOYEES<br />

During the period, the average number of<br />

employees was 9,023 (10,403) and the<br />

number of employees translated into fulltime<br />

employees was 7,714 (7,318). In all<br />

countries where <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> has operations,<br />

collective agreements are applied in accordance<br />

with the trade union that represents<br />

employees in the industry in which each<br />

company is active. Between the employee<br />

representatives and the company, there are<br />

well-established practices for the way in<br />

which working hours, compensatory terms,<br />

information and cooperation are negotiated<br />

and applied. The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group uses programs<br />

focusing on values and employee relations<br />

in order to boost the employees’ motivation<br />

at work and thus improve the quality<br />

of services to the customers.<br />

SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENTS BETWEEN<br />

THE COMPANY AND THE BOARD, AND<br />

THE CEO<br />

Fees to the Board of Directors are established<br />

by the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting.<br />

No special remuneration is paid if the<br />

assignment as Board member is terminated<br />

prematurely. In the event of termination of<br />

employment from the part of the company,<br />

the CEO is entitled to 12 months termination<br />

notice during which time salary will<br />

be paid. With regard to other information<br />

on fees to the Board of Directors, salaries<br />

and remuneration to senior executives,<br />

refer to Note 7.<br />

INCENTIVE PROGRAMS<br />

Through a rights issue in 2009/<strong>2010</strong>,<br />

1,849,094 shares valued at SEK 9,245,470,<br />

were subscribed for by employees. After<br />

a reverse split (see Note 20), there are<br />

24,928,139 shares, of which employees<br />

have 388,042 shares.<br />

SUPPLIERS<br />

The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group’s subsidiaries are dependent<br />

on certain suppliers, primarily in the vehicle<br />

and energy sectors, to conduct their operations.<br />

Purchasing agreements are signed<br />

mainly at the Group level. The individual subsidiaries<br />

enter into agreements with specific<br />

suppliers only for the supply of diesel. These<br />

agreements exist because no functioning retail<br />

business exists in the Nordic region for fuels<br />

and the subsidiaries are extremely dependent<br />

on regular fuel deliveries to conduct traffic in a<br />

reliable manner.<br />

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF<br />

OPERATIONS<br />

New buses are equipped with engines of the<br />

latest engine class that produce lower emis-


sions during combustion. They are equipped<br />

with filters for exhaust emission control and<br />

thus comply with future emissions standards<br />

well ahead of gaining legal force. In the<br />

Group’s non-current assets, the Group<br />

invests in environmental improvements such<br />

as new and improved cleaning equipment in<br />

the facilities for washing buses. Total emissions<br />

are minimized through upgrading of<br />

engine classes and control of tire pressure<br />

and wheel alignment, as well as a change to<br />

renewable fuel. The Group is working to<br />

reduce fuel consumption and new and<br />

improved fuel products are continuously<br />

evaluated. The Group conducts operations<br />

subject to reporting requirements under the<br />

Swedish Environmental Code (SFS<br />

1998:808) for the depots that operate facilities<br />

for washing buses and workshops under<br />

their own management. They impact the<br />

environment primarily through the discharge<br />

of water from the bus-washing facilities.<br />

In conjunction with the establishment<br />

and discontinuation of depots, the depots in<br />

question undergo environmental inspection<br />

to determine the company’s environmental<br />

responsibility and impact. The operating<br />

companies carry out minor decontamination<br />

measures as needed. To date, no significant<br />

decontamination liability has been<br />

found with respect to the Group’s own<br />

operations.<br />

DISPUTES<br />

The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group had no significant<br />

disputes during the fiscal year.<br />

TRADING OF THE COMPANY’S SHARES<br />

The share is not listed on any exchange or<br />

other public trading venue.<br />

OPERATIONAL RISKS<br />

The Group’s future success is dependent on<br />

its ability to secure new traffic contracts<br />

and extend existing contracts with public<br />

transport authorities<br />

During the fiscal year that ended on February<br />

28, <strong>2011</strong>, the Group’s contracts with public<br />

transport authorities accounted for 94.5%<br />

of the total revenue. The possibility to secure<br />

new contracts is largely dependent on the<br />

Group’s ability to present tenders with com-<br />

petitive pricing, which in turn is largely<br />

dependent on the Group’s ability to increase<br />

efficiency in the operations and realize potential<br />

economies of scale. Consequently, competiveness<br />

is closely connected to efficient<br />

management of the bus fleet and existing<br />

contracts. A decline in the Group’s competitiveness<br />

will affect the ability to secure new<br />

contracts with public transport authorities,<br />

which in turn would have a significantly negative<br />

impact on the Group’s operations, financial<br />

position and operating profit.<br />

Management of commitments and risks<br />

associated with tender pricing in the contract<br />

tender process has a significant impact on<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s operations, operating profit and<br />

financial position<br />

Every traffic contract is awarded following<br />

a formal tender process subject to competition.<br />

If some of the Group’s assumptions for<br />

price determination are incorrect, the Group<br />

may secure contracts with low profit margins<br />

or the contract must be carried out at<br />

a loss. Such contracts can result in a loss for<br />

a short period or the entire duration of the<br />

contract. Typically, the Group enters contracts<br />

with public transport authorities with<br />

a duration of five to eight years, whereby<br />

such factors as prices, price index and the<br />

extent of the operations are established when<br />

signing the contract. After a contract has<br />

been signed, there are generally no or only<br />

limited opportunities to renegotiate contract<br />

conditions and, in the event the Group<br />

enters a contract involving a loss, the Group<br />

may sustain considerable damage during the<br />

period. Entering a contract with low margin<br />

or a contract involving a loss would have a<br />

negative impact on the Group’s revenue and<br />

operating profit, which would have a significantly<br />

negative impact on the financial position<br />

and operating profit.<br />

Levels of allocations to public transport<br />

authorities<br />

The demand from public transport authorities<br />

for the Group’s services is highly<br />

dependent on the counties’ budgets and<br />

funds allocated for public transport. A<br />

decrease in the municipalities’ finances<br />

could reduce budgets for public transport<br />

AccOuNts<br />

authorities, who are responsible for allocating<br />

and financing many of the Group’s contracts.<br />

This means that the available market<br />

could decrease.<br />

Supply of bus drivers<br />

The company is strongly dependent on the<br />

supply of bus drivers in the countries in which<br />

the Group operates. There are several factors<br />

that could lead to the Group suffering a temporary<br />

or long-term shortage of bus drivers,<br />

including competition for qualified drivers in<br />

the transport sector or a decline in the<br />

number of people choosing the bus-driver<br />

profession.<br />

Price-adjustment index in <strong>Nobina</strong>’s<br />

traffic contracts<br />

A contract with a public transport authority<br />

generates revenue for providing bus traffic in<br />

the areas described in the contract. The size<br />

of the remuneration is adjusted on a regular<br />

basis based on several different indices to<br />

compensate for changes in the Group’s<br />

expenses during the duration of the specific<br />

contract. The price-adjustment index used<br />

provides scope for costs pertaining to labor,<br />

fuel, changes in the consumer index and<br />

other factors. The weighting in the indices in<br />

the Group’s contract portfolio may differ<br />

from the Group’s actual cost structure, causing<br />

the index-based price adjustments to not<br />

fully compensate for the Group’s costs.<br />

Depending on what is stated in each contract,<br />

index adjustments occur on a monthly,<br />

quarterly, six-month or annual basis, and are<br />

in certain cases applicable for future contract<br />

periods and not retroactive for the preceding<br />

contract period. This may mean that<br />

the Group will not receive higher remuneration<br />

to compensate for actual costs during a<br />

previous contract period. In addition, remuneration<br />

adjustments are not intended to<br />

keep traffic companies free from damage,<br />

but to adjust remuneration intended to be<br />

paid in the future. This may result in the<br />

price-adjustment indices not providing full<br />

remuneration at the right time, for actual<br />

costs and cost increases.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 59


AccOuNts<br />

Fluctuations in prices and supply of fuel could<br />

have a significantly negative impact on the<br />

company’s operations, financial position and<br />

operating profit<br />

Major changes in the supply of fuel or fuel<br />

prices could have a significant impact on the<br />

Group’s operations, financial position and<br />

operating profit. The supply of and cost for<br />

fuel are affected by a series of factors over<br />

which the Group has little or no control, such<br />

as environmental legislation or global financial<br />

and political events. In the event of a fuel<br />

shortage due to a disruption in oil import,<br />

reduction in production or other reason, the<br />

Group could be affected by higher fuel prices<br />

or cut-backs in contracted fuel deliveries. The<br />

Group’s fuel costs are also influenced by<br />

annual increases in fuel tax, which is partly<br />

offset by the price-adjustment index. The<br />

Group also safeguards itself from fuel price<br />

increases by purchasing commodities options<br />

for the element of the diesel cost not covered<br />

by the price-adjustment index. At February<br />

28, <strong>2011</strong>, the Group had outstanding diesel<br />

derivatives of 2,500 metric tons per month<br />

until April <strong>2011</strong> and then 1,400 metric tons<br />

per month until August <strong>2011</strong>. The derivative<br />

agreements entered into had a market value<br />

of SEK 3.9 million at February 28, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

Exchange-rate fluctuations could have a significantly<br />

negative impact on the Group’s operations,<br />

financial position and operating profit<br />

Several of the Group’s operating subsidiaries,<br />

including <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway, <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland<br />

and <strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark have functional<br />

currencies other than Swedish kronor (the<br />

Parent Company’s functional currency).<br />

When the Group compiles the consolidated<br />

financial statements, it converts these operating<br />

subsidiaries’ annual accounts to Swedish<br />

kronor on balance-sheet date. Accordingly,<br />

the Group’s operating profit/loss and<br />

financial position are affected by exchangerate<br />

fluctuations between SEK and NOK,<br />

EUR and DKR. The Group is also exposed<br />

to exchange-rate fluctuations with regard to<br />

fuel costs, which are partially mitigated by<br />

the Group subscribing to commodities<br />

options in local currency. In addition, the<br />

Group is exposed to currency risks in terms<br />

of a bond loan in EUR.<br />

60 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

New laws and directives or new interpretations<br />

of existing laws and directives may have a<br />

negative impact on the Group’s operations<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s operations fall under both national<br />

and European Union (”EU”) laws and directives.<br />

The Group is also covered by national<br />

environmental laws and directives. Additional<br />

laws and directives or new interpretations<br />

of existing laws and directives that<br />

affect the Group may be proposed periodically,<br />

which could impact the Group with<br />

additional costs, demands or restrictions.<br />

The adoption of such new laws and new<br />

interpretations of existing laws and directives<br />

may have a significantly negative<br />

impact on the Group’s operations, financial<br />

position or operating profit/loss.<br />

Interest risk<br />

The Group is primarily exposed to interest<br />

rate risk through the company’s financial<br />

and operating leases, which are mainly subject<br />

to variable interest. Interest rate<br />

increases are compensated to some extent<br />

through price adjustment indices that contain<br />

components of interest and/or consumer<br />

price indices. For other financial risks<br />

and risk management, refer to Note 28.<br />

Refinancing risk<br />

The Group is exposed to a refinancing risk,<br />

since an existing bond loan of EUR 97 million<br />

falls due on August 1, 2012. The possibilities<br />

to receive compensation financing<br />

are assessed as favorable.<br />

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS AFTER THE<br />

END OF THE FISCAL YEAR<br />

No significant events have occurred after<br />

the balance-sheet date.<br />

PARENT COMPANY<br />

The Parent Company’s operations mainly<br />

comprise Group management, support<br />

functions for IT, human resources and payroll,<br />

financial management and legal services.<br />

The Parent Company has 44 (8)<br />

employees. The increase is due to certain<br />

functions, such as IT and HR, being moved<br />

to the Parent Company during the fiscal<br />

year. The Parent Company’s profit before tax<br />

was SEK 57 million (loss: 8) and cash and<br />

cash equivalents at year-end was SEK 39<br />

million (99), of which SEK 30 million (33)<br />

are in restricted funds.<br />

PROPOSED DIVIDEND<br />

The Board of Directors proposes that no<br />

dividend be paid.<br />

Allocation of profits (SEK)<br />

Funds available for allocation by<br />

the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting:<br />

share premium reserve 611,848,790<br />

Accumulated profit 1,406,311,797<br />

profit for the year 64,725,888<br />

Total 2,082,886,475<br />

The Board of Directors proposes that profits be<br />

allocated as follows:<br />

to be carried forward to new<br />

account 2,082,886,475<br />

Total 2,082,886,475<br />

For more information about the results and<br />

financial position of the Group and Parent<br />

Company, see the following income statements,<br />

statements of comprehensive income<br />

and balance sheets, with notes.


consolidated income statement<br />

SEK M Note<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

AccOuNts<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Net sales 1, 2, 3 6,546 6,179<br />

Other operating income 151 129<br />

TOTAL INCOME 6,697 6,308<br />

OPERATING EXPENSES<br />

Fuel, tires and other consumables 4 –1,507 –1,371<br />

Other external expenses 4, 5, 6 –1,171 –1,127<br />

personnel costs 4, 7 –3,408 –3,275<br />

capital losses on the sale of non-current assets –7 –3<br />

Depreciation/amortization of intangible and tangible non-current assets 8 –372 –340<br />

OPERATING PROFIT 1, 2 232 192<br />

profit from net financial items<br />

Interest income and similar profit/loss items 9 11 10<br />

Interest expense and similar profit/loss items 10 –184 –81<br />

PROFIT AFTER NET FINANCIAL ITEMS 59 121<br />

tax 11 - -<br />

PROFIT FOR THE YEAR 59 121<br />

profit for the period attributable to parent company shareholders 59 121<br />

Average number of shares before dilution (000s) 20 24,928 16,235<br />

earnings per share attributable to parent company shareholders, before dilution (seK) 21 2.37 5.36<br />

earnings per share attributable to parent company shareholders, after dilution (seK) 21 2.37 5.36<br />

statement of consolidated comprehensive income<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

profit for the year 59 121<br />

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME<br />

Exchange-rate differences in foreign operations –18 –29<br />

Other comprehensive income for the year, net after tax –18 –29<br />

Comprehensive income for the year 41 92<br />

Comprehensive income attributable to Parent Company shareholders 41 92<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 61


AccOuNts<br />

consolidated balance sheet<br />

SEK M Note Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

ASSETS<br />

Non-current assets<br />

Goodwill 12 673 687<br />

Other intangible non-current assets 12 9 5<br />

costs for improvements on third-party properties 13 5 7<br />

equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings 13 42 42<br />

Vehicles 13 3,189 2,748<br />

Non-current receivables 1 18<br />

Deferred tax assets 11 7 8<br />

Total non-current assets 3,926 3,515<br />

Current assets<br />

Inventories 16 48 40<br />

trade receivables 17 441 491<br />

Other current receivables 62 71<br />

Deferred expenses and accrued income 18 361 269<br />

restricted bank accounts 19 110 141<br />

cash and cash equivalents 19 225 331<br />

Total current assets 1,247 1,343<br />

TOTAL ASSETS 1, 2 5,173 4,858<br />

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES<br />

Shareholders’ equity attributable to Parent Company shareholders 20 178 137<br />

LONG-TERM LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES<br />

Bond loans 24 728 859<br />

Other liabilities 24 2,295 2,096<br />

provisions for pensions and similar commitments 22 16 44<br />

Other provisions 23 81 88<br />

Total non-current liabilities 3,120 3,087<br />

CURRENT LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES<br />

Bond loans 24 85 118<br />

liabilities to credit institutions 24 438 258<br />

Accounts payable 389 389<br />

Other current liabilities 25 134 113<br />

Accrued expenses and deferred income 26 829 756<br />

Total current liabilities 1,875 1,634<br />

Total liabilities 4,995 4,721<br />

TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES 1, 2 5,173 4,858<br />

PLEDGED ASSETS AND CONTINGENT LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES 27<br />

62 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>


AccOuNts<br />

consolidated statement of changes in shareholders’ equity<br />

SEK M<br />

Share<br />

capital<br />

Other<br />

contributed<br />

capital<br />

Translation<br />

difference<br />

Profit/loss<br />

brought<br />

forward<br />

Total equity attributable<br />

to Parent Company<br />

shareholders<br />

Opening shareholders’ equity, February 28, 2009 25 2,179 73 –2,394 –117<br />

comprehensive income for the year - - –29 121 92<br />

Transactions with owners<br />

exercise of issued options - –9 - - –9<br />

New issue 204 614 - - 818<br />

New issue costs - –8 - - –8<br />

redemption of preferential shares –5 –505 - - –510<br />

Dividend, preferential shares - - - –129 –129<br />

Total transactions with owners 199 92 - –129 162<br />

Closing shareholders’ equity, February 28, <strong>2010</strong> 224 2,271 44 –2,402 137<br />

comprehensive income for the year - - –18 59 41<br />

Closing shareholders’ equity, February 28, <strong>2011</strong> 224 2,271 26 –2,343 178<br />

there are no non-controlling interests.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 63


AccOuNts<br />

consolidated cash-flow statement<br />

SEK M Note<br />

64 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Cash flow from operating activities<br />

profit before tax 59 121<br />

Adjustments for non-cash items<br />

– Depreciation/amortization and impairments 8 372 340<br />

– capital gain/loss from the disposal of non–current assets 7 3<br />

– unrealized foreign exchange gains/losses –66 –162<br />

– Financial income 9 –11 –10<br />

– Financial expense 217 218<br />

– changes in provisions, pensions, etc. –17 9<br />

– Other items 29 –30<br />

Cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital 590 489<br />

Cash flow from changes in working capital<br />

changes in inventories –10 –1<br />

changes in operating receivables –29 36<br />

changes in operating liabilities 96 85<br />

Total changes in working capital 57 120<br />

Interest income received 9 10 11<br />

tax paid 11 - -<br />

Cash flow from operating activities 657 620<br />

Cash flow from investing activities<br />

changes in restricted bank accounts<br />

Investments in buildings and land, vehicles, equipment, tools and fixtures and fittings<br />

19 26 –6<br />

excluding financial leasing 6, 12, 13 –180 –135<br />

Divestment of buildings and land, vehicles, equipment, tools and fixtures and fittings 12, 13 16 26<br />

Cash flow from investing activities –138 –115<br />

Cash flow from financing activities<br />

redemption of preferential shares 20 - –510<br />

repurchase of options 7 - –9<br />

New issue 20 - 818<br />

New issue costs - –8<br />

Amortization of financial lease liability 24 –280 –217<br />

Amortization of loans 24 –115 –124<br />

loans paid 24 - –1,488<br />

loans raised 24 - 1,323<br />

Interest paid 10 –215 –228<br />

Dividend 20 - –129<br />

Cash flow from financing activities –610 –572<br />

Cash flow for the year –91 –67<br />

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 331 417<br />

cash flow for the year –91 –67<br />

exchange-rate difference –15 –19<br />

CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS AT THE END OF THE YEAR 19 225 331


parent company income statement<br />

SEK M Note<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

AccOuNts<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Other operating income 133 35<br />

TOTAL INCOME 1, 3 133 35<br />

OPERATING EXPENSES<br />

Other external expenses 4, 5 –64 –15<br />

personnel costs 4, 7 –49 –29<br />

Depreciation/amortization of intangible and tangible non-current assets 8 –5 -<br />

OPERATING PROFIT/LOSS 1, 2 15 –9<br />

Interest income and similar profit/loss items 9 44 8<br />

Interest expense and similar profit/loss items 10 –2 –7<br />

PROFIT/LOSS AFTER NET FINANCIAL ITEMS 57 –8<br />

tax 11 8 14<br />

PROFIT FOR THE YEAR 65 6<br />

parent company statement of comprehensive income<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

profit for the year 65 6<br />

OTHER COMPREHENSIVE INCOME<br />

Other comprehensive income for the year, net after tax - -<br />

Comprehensive income for the year 65 6<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 65


AccOuNts<br />

parent company balance sheet<br />

SEK M Note Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

ASSETS<br />

Non-current assets<br />

participations in Group companies 14 1,772 1,772<br />

Other intangible assets 12 8 -<br />

equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings 13 10 -<br />

receivables from Group companies 15 345 290<br />

Total non-current assets 2,135 2,062<br />

Current assets<br />

receivables from Group companies 136 71<br />

Other current receivables 10 3<br />

Deferred expenses and accrued income 18 48 17<br />

restricted bank accounts 19 30 33<br />

cash and cash equivalents 19 9 66<br />

Total current assets 233 190<br />

TOTAL ASSETS 1 2,368 2,252<br />

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES<br />

Shareholders’ equity 20<br />

share capital 224 224<br />

statutory reserve - -<br />

Total restricted shareholders’ equity 224 224<br />

Non-restricted shareholders’ equity 20<br />

share premium reserve 612 612<br />

profit brought forward 1,406 1,376<br />

profit for the year 65 6<br />

Total non-restricted shareholders’ equity 2,083 1,994<br />

Total shareholders’ equity 2,307 2,218<br />

Non-current liabilities<br />

provisions for pensions and similar commitments 22 2 1<br />

Other provisions - 1<br />

Total non-current liabilities 2 2<br />

Current liabilities<br />

Accounts payable 9 24<br />

liabilities to Group companies 38 1<br />

Other current liabilities 1 -<br />

Accrued expenses and deferred income 26 11 7<br />

Total current liabilities 59 32<br />

Total liabilities 61 34<br />

TOTAL SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY AND LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES 2,368 2,252<br />

PLEDGED ASSETS AND CONTINGENT LI<strong>AB</strong>ILITIES 27<br />

pledged assets 4,015 3,531<br />

contingent liabilities - -<br />

Total pledged assets and contingent liabilities 4,015 3,531<br />

66 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>


parent company statement of changes<br />

in shareholders’ equity<br />

SEK M<br />

Share<br />

capital<br />

Statutory<br />

reserve<br />

Share<br />

premium<br />

reserve<br />

Profit/loss<br />

brought<br />

forward<br />

Profit/loss<br />

for the year<br />

AccOuNts<br />

Total<br />

shareholders’<br />

equity<br />

Opening shareholders’ equity, February 28, 2009 25 1,322 507 132 24 2,010<br />

comprehensive income for the year - - - - 6 6<br />

Transactions with owners<br />

redemption of preferential shares –5 - –505 - - –510<br />

repurchase of options - - –9 - - –9<br />

New issue 204 - 614 - - 818<br />

New issue costs - - –8 - - –8<br />

reclassification of issue expenses - - 13 –13 - -<br />

Dividend, preferential shares - - - –129 - –129<br />

reduction of statutory reserve - –1,322 - 1,322 - -<br />

Group contribution received - - - 54 - 54<br />

tax effect on Group contribution received - - - –14 - –14<br />

transfer of the previous year’s profit/loss - - - 24 –24 -<br />

Total transactions with owners 199 –1,322 105 1,244 –24 202<br />

Total shareholders’ equity, February 28, <strong>2010</strong> 224 - 612 1,376 6 2,218<br />

comprehensive income for the year - - - - 65 65<br />

Transactions with owners<br />

Group contribution received - - - 32 - 32<br />

tax effect on Group contribution received - - - –8 - –8<br />

transfer of the previous year’s profit/loss - - - 6 –6 -<br />

Total transactions with owners - - - 30 –6 24<br />

Total shareholders’ equity on February 28, <strong>2011</strong> 224 - 612 1,406 65 2,307<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 67


AccOuNts<br />

parent company cash-flow statement<br />

SEK M Note<br />

cash flow from operating activities<br />

68 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

profit/loss before tax 57 –8<br />

Adjustments for non-cash items;<br />

– Depreciation/amortization 8 5 -<br />

– Financial income 9 –44 –8<br />

– unrealized exchange gain/losses 3 6<br />

Cash flow from operating activities before changes in working capital 21 –10<br />

cash flow from changes in working capital<br />

changes in operating receivables –81 –125<br />

changes in operating liabilities 23 26<br />

Total changes in working capital –58 –99<br />

Interest income received - -<br />

cash flow from operating activities –37 –109<br />

cash flow from investing activities<br />

changes in restricted bank accounts 19 3 2<br />

Investments in tangible and intangible non-current assets 12, 13 –23 -<br />

Cash flow from investing activities –20 2<br />

cash flow from financing activities<br />

redemption of preferential shares 20 - –510<br />

repurchase of options - –9<br />

New issue 20 - 818<br />

New issue costs - –8<br />

Dividend 20 - –129<br />

Cash flow from financing activities - 162<br />

Cash flow for the year –57 55<br />

cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the year 66 11<br />

cash flow for the year –57 55<br />

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the year 19 9 66


Notes<br />

NotE 1 Company information and accounting policies<br />

Company information<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> is a public limited company (Corporate<br />

Registration Number 556576-4569, domiciled in<br />

Stockholm) that is owned by some 30 shareholders<br />

and is the overall Parent Company of the <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Group (<strong>Nobina</strong>). The address of the head office is<br />

Armégatan 38, SE-171 71 Solna, Sweden.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>’s operations, which are conducted<br />

through subsidiaries, consist of the provision of scheduled<br />

contractual bus transport services to public transport<br />

authorities in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and<br />

Finland. Aside from contractual bus traffic, <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

also offers extensive express bus services throughout<br />

large parts of Sweden.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> is a holding company whose primary<br />

asset consists of the investment in <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe<br />

Holding <strong>AB</strong> (with subsidiaries). The consolidated<br />

financial statements were approved for publication by<br />

a decision of the Board of Directors on April 26, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

The consolidated income statement and balance<br />

sheet will be subject to adoption by the <strong>Annual</strong><br />

General Meeting on May 23, <strong>2011</strong>, in Stockholm.<br />

Compliance with norms and laws<br />

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared<br />

in accordance with the International Financial<br />

<strong>Report</strong>ing Standards (IFRS) as adopted by the EU and<br />

the application of RFR 1 “Supplementary Accounting<br />

Rules for Groups,” associated interpretations issued by<br />

the Swedish Financial <strong>Report</strong>ing Board and the Swedish<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act. The financial statements for<br />

the Parent Company have been prepared in accordance<br />

with the <strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act, with application<br />

of RFR 2 “Accounting for legal entities.” The Parent<br />

Company applies the same accounting policies as the<br />

Group except for in those cases specified below under<br />

“Accounting policies of the Parent Company”.<br />

Any deviations that exist are a result of the Swedish<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act’s limitations on the scope for IFRS<br />

conformity in the Parent Company and in certain cases<br />

also tax considerations.<br />

Basis for valuation in the Parent Company<br />

and consolidated financial statements<br />

Assets and liabilities are recognized at historical cost,<br />

except for certain financial assets and liabilities, which<br />

are stated at fair value or historical cost.<br />

Transactions to be eliminated on<br />

consolidation<br />

All intra-Group receivables and liabilities, income,<br />

expenses or unrealized gains or losses arising on transactions<br />

between Group companies are eliminated<br />

in full when preparing the consolidated financial<br />

statements.<br />

Transactions in foreign currency<br />

Transactions in foreign currencies are translated to the<br />

functional currency at the rate of exchange in effect on<br />

the transaction date. The functional currency is the<br />

currency of the primary economic environments in<br />

which the Group conducts its operations. Monetary<br />

assets and liabilities in foreign currency are translated<br />

to the functional currency at the closing day rate. Foreign<br />

exchange gains/losses arising on translation are<br />

recognized in the income statement.<br />

For the financial statements of subsidiaries with a<br />

functional currency other than SEK, all balance sheet<br />

items are translated at the closing day rate of exchange<br />

while income statement items are translated at the<br />

average rate during the year.<br />

Functional currency and presentation<br />

currency<br />

The functional currency of the Parent Company is<br />

Swedish kronor (SEK), which is also the presentation<br />

currency of the Parent Company and the Group. The<br />

consolidated financial statements are thus presented in<br />

SEK. All amounts are rounded off to the nearest million,<br />

unless otherwise stated.<br />

Assumptions and estimates in the<br />

financial statements<br />

Preparing the financial statements in accordance with<br />

IFRS requires that company management make estimates<br />

and assumptions that affect the recognized<br />

amounts of assets, liabilities, pledged assets and contingent<br />

liabilities, as well as income and expenses during<br />

the reporting period.<br />

Certain assumptions about the future and certain<br />

estimates and judgments on the closing date are of special<br />

significance for measuring assets and liabilities in<br />

the balance sheet. The risk for changes in carrying<br />

amounts during the coming year due to a possible<br />

need for changes in estimates and assumptions is<br />

deemed to lie primarily in the following areas:<br />

Impairment of goodwill<br />

Goodwill is tested for impairment at least annually<br />

and whenever circumstances or events indicate that<br />

the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.<br />

In determining the recoverable value of cash-<br />

generating units for assessment of whether goodwill is<br />

impaired, several assumptions about future conditions<br />

and estimates of variables have been made. The cash<br />

flow projections are based on the best possible estimates<br />

of future income and operating expenses, which<br />

in turn are based on historical development, general<br />

market conditions and other available information.<br />

The forecasts are performed with respect to each operating<br />

unit and are based on the respective company’s<br />

profit/loss before amortization/depreciation. Projected<br />

future cash flows are discounted at a reasonable rate for<br />

the weighted average cost of capital plus a reasonable<br />

risk premium at the valuation date, refer to Note 12.<br />

In the management’s assessment, reasonable and possible<br />

changes in the above variables would not have such<br />

significant effects that they would individually reduce<br />

the recoverable amount to a level lower than the<br />

carrying amount.<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Provisions for onerous contracts<br />

In the Group’s provisions for onerous contracts, under<br />

which the contractual income are not sufficient to<br />

cover the direct and allocable costs necessary for fulfillment<br />

of the contractual obligations, several assumptions<br />

have been made about future conditions and<br />

estimates of variables. Refer to Note 23.<br />

Excess vehicles (buses)<br />

In assessing whether to measure excess vehicles, not<br />

used in traffic, at fair value, a number of assumptions<br />

were made about future conditions and alternatives<br />

for relocation and estimates about future resale values.<br />

Vehicles deemed as excess by management were<br />

impaired at fair value, see Note 13.<br />

Tax assets<br />

In assessing whether to measure previous accumulated<br />

loss carry-forwards, Note 11, management has taken<br />

into account the Group’s future earnings ability,<br />

impact on the Group by currency fluctuations, as well<br />

as the consolidated financial position. Group Management<br />

has decided not to capitalize any part of the<br />

current accumulated loss carry-forwards.<br />

Classification of preference shares<br />

The preparation of financial statements also requires<br />

judgments in the application of accounting policies<br />

and classification of items. On the issuance of preference<br />

shares, the issued amount has been classified as<br />

shareholders’ equity based on an assessment of the<br />

conditions of these shares in relation to the criteria in<br />

IAS 32 that define what is a liability and what is shareholders’<br />

equity. In 2009/<strong>2010</strong>, all preference shares<br />

were redeemed.<br />

Refinancing<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>’s bond loans mature for payment<br />

on August 1, 2012. The possibility of obtaining<br />

replacement financing is judged to be good as the<br />

current bond loan is mainly held by shareholders in<br />

the Group and Parent Company <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

New accounting policies<br />

New and amended standards <strong>2010</strong>/11<br />

The changes presented below are those deemed to be<br />

relevant to the company. However, they do not have<br />

any material effect on financial position or the results<br />

of operations, but rather have affected the reporting<br />

structure and supplementary disclosures.<br />

• IAS 27 (revised): Consolidated and Separate Financial<br />

Statements (apply from the fiscal year commencing<br />

July 1, 2009). The revised standard requires<br />

that effects of all transactions with non-controlling<br />

interests must be recognized in shareholders’ equity<br />

if the control conditions will not change and the<br />

transactions will no longer lead to goodwill, profit<br />

or loss.<br />

• IFRS 3 (revised), Business Combinations (apply for<br />

the fiscal year commencing July 1, 2009). The revised<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 69


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 1 Continued date will be included in the consolidated shareholders’<br />

standard means that the acquisition method will continue<br />

to be used in business acquisitions, but with a<br />

number of significant changes. For example, all payments<br />

for business acquisitions will be recognized at<br />

fair value on the acquisition date, and any conditional<br />

payments classified as liabilities shall be revalued<br />

through the income statement.<br />

New standards and interpretations<br />

not yet in force<br />

Standards and interpretations not yet in force, have<br />

not been applied for <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong>. The following standards<br />

may affect the company in the future, but are not<br />

expected to result in any effect on the consolidated<br />

financial statements when applied.<br />

• IFRIC 19 “Extinguishing Financial Liabilities with<br />

Equity Instruments”. This standard concerns scenarios<br />

where a company renegotiates the terms of a<br />

financial liability with a creditor and the creditor<br />

agrees to take the company’s shares or other equity<br />

instruments to settle the financial liability in part or<br />

in whole.<br />

• IAS 24 Related Party Disclosures. A supplement to<br />

the previous standard is made to the definition of<br />

related companies and changes some disclosure<br />

requirements for related companies, associated companies<br />

and joint ventures of the State.<br />

• Amendment to IFRS 7. Change in the requirements<br />

on disclosures in connection with a transfer of financial<br />

assets.<br />

• IFRS 7, Amendments concerning the transfer of<br />

financial assets “Financial Instruments: Disclosures<br />

(enters into effect for fiscal years beginning on or after<br />

July 1, <strong>2011</strong>).<br />

• IFRS 9 “Financial instrument”. This standard is a part<br />

of a full restructuring of the existing standard IAS 39.<br />

The standard means a reduction in the number of<br />

measurement categories for financial assets and represents<br />

the main categories, recognition at cost (amortized<br />

cost) and fair value in profit and loss. This first<br />

part of the standard will be supplemented with rules<br />

about impairment, hedge accounting and liabilities<br />

measurement. IFRS 9 must be applied for fiscal years<br />

commencing January 1, 2013 or later. The standard<br />

has not yet been adopted by the EU.<br />

Consolidated accounts<br />

The consolidated accounts comprise all companies in<br />

which <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> directly or indirectly has more than<br />

50% of the votes or has a controlling influence otherwise.<br />

The consolidated accounts are prepared in accordance<br />

with the acquisition method. This means that<br />

acquired subsidiaries’ assets and liabilities are recognized<br />

at fair values according to an acquisition analysis,<br />

prepared on acquisition date. If the cost for shares<br />

in the subsidiary and any holdings without controlling<br />

influence (non-controlling interest) exceeds the fair<br />

value of the company’s identifiable net assets according<br />

to the acquisition analysis, the difference will represent<br />

consolidated goodwill, which will be tested for impairments.<br />

For every acquisition, it is determined if holdings<br />

with a non-controlling interest will be valued at<br />

fair value or the proportional share of the acquired<br />

operation’s net assets. All acquisition-related costs are<br />

expensed. Only income arising after the acquisition<br />

70 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

equity. Income from the company that was acquired<br />

during the year will be included in the consolidated<br />

accounts from the date of acquisition. Companies<br />

divested during the year will be included in the consolidated<br />

profit and loss with income and expenses for the<br />

period up to the date of divestment.<br />

Segment reporting<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> conducts Regional and Interregional traffic<br />

between selected cities (express traffic).<br />

Regional traffic is operated in large parts of Sweden<br />

and in metropolitan areas in Finland, Denmark and<br />

Norway. The largest part of the income is derived from<br />

contracts with public transport authorities representing<br />

the various counties. In nearly all cases, the public<br />

transport authorities receive ticket revenues and the<br />

traffic company receives a fixed amount of compensation<br />

in payment for the contracted services.<br />

Interregional traffic is conducted by Swebus Express<br />

(Swebus), which operates certain predetermined<br />

routes throughout Sweden. Revenue is generated by<br />

the sale of tickets to the passengers.<br />

Some of the companies also conduct chartered<br />

traffic mainly by using vehicles and personnel during<br />

periods when these are not occupied in regular traffic<br />

operations.<br />

The Group’s operations are steered and reported by<br />

operating segments, refer to Note 2. The accounting<br />

policies used by the reporting segments are the same as<br />

those applied in the consolidated financial statements.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> evaluates operations in each operating segment<br />

based on operating profit for each reporting<br />

operating segment, and normally reports sales and<br />

transfers between operating segments on a third-party<br />

basis, meaning at market prices.<br />

Group-wide functions<br />

Costs for group-wide support functions such as IT, systems<br />

administration and legal affairs, etc., are allocated<br />

to the operating segments and countries according to<br />

the degree of utilization. General administrative<br />

expenses, costs for the head office and other costs that<br />

arise at the central level and are attributable to the entire<br />

company are not included in the profit or loss of the<br />

operating segments. The operating assets included in<br />

each operating segment include all operating assets that<br />

are used in operating activities, primarily intangible<br />

assets, tangible assets, inventories and accounts receivables.<br />

Most of these assets are directly attributable to the<br />

respective operating segment. The operating liabilities<br />

included in each operating segment include all operating<br />

liabilities that are used, accrued expenses and pre<br />

paid income. Most of these liabilities are directly attributable<br />

to the respective operating segment. Estimated<br />

deferred tax and external and internal loans are not<br />

included in the operating segments’ capital employed.<br />

Income recognition<br />

Most of <strong>Nobina</strong>’s income is attributable to contracts<br />

with public transport authorities that run for a term of<br />

five to eight years, with an extension option. The public<br />

transport authorities’ contracts are generally<br />

designed so that <strong>Nobina</strong> receives a fixed fee in return<br />

for services rendered. Ticket revenues do not accrue to<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>, but are forwarded to the public transport<br />

authorities. Most of the contracts are of the gross cost<br />

contract type, in which compensation is based exclusively<br />

on the number of kilometers or hours driven<br />

and is entirely unrelated to the number of passengers.<br />

Under certain contracts, <strong>Nobina</strong> receives compensation<br />

based on the services performed, while other contracts<br />

provide <strong>Nobina</strong> with remuneration in advance.<br />

Regardless of the payment flows in the contractual<br />

operations, <strong>Nobina</strong> primarily recognizes the revenue<br />

when the services are rendered. The amount of compensation<br />

is often tied to certain cost indices in order<br />

to compensate the traffic companies for cost increases<br />

during the term of the contract. The compensation is<br />

adjusted during the term of the contract due to<br />

changes in these indices. <strong>Nobina</strong> adjusts its revenues<br />

during the contract period according to the agreed<br />

indexation formula. Some of <strong>Nobina</strong>’s contracts with<br />

public transport authorities are designed so that all or<br />

part of the compensation is based on the number of<br />

passengers, so-called net cost contracts. Revenue from<br />

these contracts is recognized on the date that the passenger<br />

travels with <strong>Nobina</strong>.<br />

Revenues from Interregional traffic consist of ticket<br />

revenues from the passengers. For Interregional traffic,<br />

revenue is recognized on the date that the passenger<br />

travels with <strong>Nobina</strong>.<br />

The revenues also include revenues for rents, fuel<br />

sales and maintenance services. Revenues from these<br />

activities are recognized when the goods are delivered<br />

and the services performed or, in cases where revenues<br />

are obtained through operating leases, they are distributed<br />

evenly over the term of the lease.<br />

All revenues are reported excluding value added tax.<br />

Costs<br />

The consolidated operating expenses pertain primarily<br />

to personnel costs, which include salaries, social security<br />

costs, pensions, costs for bus drivers, as well as<br />

fuel, tires and leasing costs.<br />

Leasing<br />

In the consolidated financial statements, leasing is classified<br />

either as financial leasing or operating leasing. In<br />

financial leasing, the main financial risks and benefits<br />

are transferred to the lessee. If this is not the case, the<br />

agreement is considered operational leasing. Financial<br />

leases are recognized as non-current assets in the balance<br />

sheet and the corresponding leasing commitment<br />

is recognized as a liability. Assets and liabilities at the<br />

beginning of a leasing agreement are measured at the<br />

lower of fair value and the present value of future lease<br />

payments. Assets held under finance leases are depreciated<br />

on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful<br />

lives according to the same principles used for similar<br />

asset groups. The useful life periods do not follow the<br />

payment periods in the lease contracts, since the company<br />

believes that the benefits from the leased vehicles<br />

extend longer than the related financial obligation.<br />

The financial lease payments are apportioned between<br />

the finance charge and repayment of outstanding liability<br />

to produce an average rate of interest on the recognized<br />

liability. In the profit and loss, the lease<br />

expense is recognized as depreciation and interest<br />

expenses. For operating leases, no assets or liabilities<br />

are recognized in the balance sheet. In the income<br />

statement leasing expenses are recognized over the<br />

term of the lease.


NotE 1 Continued This testing is based on defined cash-generating units,<br />

which coincide with the business areas used in seg-<br />

Depreciation/amortization<br />

Depreciation/amortization of intangible and tangible<br />

non-current assets is based on the historic cost and estimated<br />

useful lives of different groups of non-current<br />

assets. Depreciation/amortization is on a straightline<br />

basis over the useful life of the assets to an estimated residual<br />

value. For Assets acquired during the year, depreciation/<br />

amortization is calculated from the acquisition date.<br />

Applied useful lives<br />

Other intangible<br />

assets, max 3 years<br />

Computers<br />

Office equipment<br />

3 years<br />

and furniture 5 years<br />

Vehicles standard buses, 14 years<br />

long-distance<br />

buses,<br />

special buses,<br />

according to<br />

individual valuation<br />

10 years<br />

Remodeling of<br />

leased premises<br />

5 years, but<br />

not exceeding<br />

the term of<br />

the lease<br />

Financial income and expenses<br />

Financial income and expenses consist of interest<br />

income on bank funds and receivables, interest<br />

expense on loans, interest expense on financially leased<br />

vehicles and realized and unrealized gains and losses<br />

attributable to financing. Interest income and expense<br />

are recognized in the period in which they arise.<br />

Taxes<br />

The Group’s income taxes consist of current tax and<br />

deferred tax. Current tax refers to taxable profit and<br />

loss for the year. Deferred tax is calculated based on the<br />

temporary differences between the carrying amount<br />

and taxable values of assets and liabilities, as well as tax<br />

on the consolidated tax loss carry-forwards. Deferred<br />

tax is computed according to the applicable tax rate in<br />

each country. Deferred tax assets are recognized only<br />

to the extent that it is probable that these can be<br />

utilized against future taxable profits.<br />

Tax laws in Sweden and Finland permit provisions<br />

to special reserves and funds which constitute temporary<br />

differences. Within specified limits, this enables<br />

companies to retain profits in the company without<br />

immediate taxation of these profits. The untaxed<br />

reserves are not subject to taxation until they are dissolved.<br />

However, during years when the operations<br />

make a loss, the untaxed reserves can be utilized to cover<br />

losses without giving rise to any taxation. In the consolidated<br />

balance sheet, untaxed reserves for the individual<br />

companies are divided between shareholders’ equity<br />

and deferred tax liabilities. In the profit and loss,<br />

deferred tax is recognized as tax attributable to the<br />

year’s change in untaxed reserves.<br />

Goodwill<br />

After initial recognition, goodwill is measured at historical<br />

cost less and accumulated impairments. Goodwill<br />

is not amortized, but is tested annually and more<br />

often if there are indications of a decrease in value.<br />

ment accounting. Recoverable amounts are determined<br />

based on calculations of the value in use. The<br />

recovery value is the highest of value in use and net<br />

selling value. These calculations are based on an internal<br />

assessment of the next five years with a growth rate<br />

of 6% and then 0%. Anticipated future cash flows in<br />

accordance with these assessments constitute the<br />

grounds for the calculation. Working capital changes<br />

and investment requirements have hereby been taken<br />

into account.<br />

Other intangible and tangible<br />

non-current assets<br />

Other intangible and tangible non-current assets are<br />

recognized at historical cost less depreciation/amortization<br />

and impairments. Cost consists of the purchase<br />

consideration as well as costs directly attributable to<br />

getting the asset in place and in condition to be utilized.<br />

Any discounts and bonus from the cost are<br />

drawn from the purchase consideration.<br />

A tangible asset is recognized as an asset when the<br />

cost can be calculated in a reliable manner and based on<br />

available information is probable that the future financial<br />

benefits are connected with the holding accruing to<br />

the company. A tangible non-current asset is recognized<br />

at the time of delivery, stated on the invoice or delivery<br />

note. The carrying amounts on non-current assets are<br />

tested continuously to establish any impairment<br />

requirements. If on the date of the year-end report,<br />

there is an indication that a non-current asset has<br />

decreased in value, a calculation is done of the asset’s net<br />

sales value and useful value. The net sales value consists<br />

of the price that is estimated to be received in the event<br />

of disposal of the asset less selling expenses.<br />

Non-current assets are considered impaired when<br />

the present value of the future cash flow from these<br />

assets falls below their carrying amount. The impairment<br />

amount consists of the difference between the<br />

higher of the useful value or net sales value and the<br />

carrying amount. For non-current assets to be disposed,<br />

the possible impairment amount is calculated<br />

as the difference between the estimated sales revenue<br />

less associated costs and the asset’s carrying amount.<br />

Inventories<br />

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and fair value<br />

on a first-in, first-out basis. The necessary provisions<br />

are made for obsolescence, partly on a case-by-case<br />

basis and partly through collective assessment.<br />

Financial assets and liabilities and other<br />

financial instruments<br />

Financial instruments are initially recognized at cost,<br />

corresponding to fair value including transaction costs<br />

for all financial instruments aside from those in the<br />

category of financial assets and liabilities measured at<br />

fair value through profit or loss. Subsequent to initial<br />

recognition, the accounting treatment of financial<br />

liabilities depends on how they are classified, as<br />

described below.<br />

A financial asset or liability is recognized in the balance<br />

sheet when the company initially becomes party to the<br />

contractual provisions of the instrument. Accounts<br />

receivable are recognized in the balance sheet when an<br />

invoice has been issued. Financial liabilities are recognized<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

when the counterparty has performed and there is<br />

contractual obligation to pay, even if no invoice has<br />

been received. Accounts payable are recognized when<br />

an invoice has been received.<br />

A financial asset is derecognized from the balance<br />

sheet when the company’s rights under the agreement are<br />

realized, expire or the company has relinquished control<br />

of the asset. The same applies to a part of a financial asset.<br />

A financial liability is derecognized from the balance sheet<br />

when the obligation specified in the agreement is discharged<br />

or otherwise extinguished. The same applies<br />

to a part of a financial liability.<br />

At each reporting date, the Group assesses whether<br />

there is objective evidence of impairment for a financial<br />

asset of group of financial assets.<br />

Financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value<br />

via profit and loss<br />

Assets and liabilities in this category consist of derivatives<br />

measured at fair value with fair value changes<br />

through profit or loss. The Group has not applied any<br />

hedge accounting for the <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> or 2009/<strong>2010</strong><br />

fiscal years.<br />

Loans and accounts receivable<br />

Receivables are recognized in the amount in which<br />

they are expected to be received after deduction for<br />

doubtful debts, which are assessed individually. When<br />

the expected maturity is short, the receivable is recognized<br />

at nominal value without discounting. Impairment<br />

losses on loans and receivables are recognized in<br />

operating expenses.<br />

Restricted bank deposits<br />

Restricted bank deposits comprise bank guarantees<br />

and leasing contracts. Bank guarantees have been furnished<br />

as security for <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>’s pension liability,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway AS’s obligations in respect of<br />

traffic contracts in Oslo, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong> and Swebus<br />

Express <strong>AB</strong>’s obligations pursuant to the Travel<br />

Guarantee Act and <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong> obligations in<br />

respect of electricity purchases. <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong><br />

and <strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark have deposited funds under<br />

lease contracts for buses.<br />

Cash and cash equivalents<br />

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash in hand<br />

and at banks.<br />

Other financial liabilities<br />

Liabilities are classed as other financial liabilities,<br />

which means that these are initially recognized at the<br />

amount received less transaction costs and are subsequently<br />

measured at amortized cost according to the<br />

effective interest rate method. Accounts payable are<br />

classified as other financial liabilities. Accounts payable<br />

have a short expected maturity and are measured at<br />

nominal value without discounting.<br />

Impairment of financial assets<br />

Any impairment requirements of financial assets in<br />

the categories of held-to-maturity investments and<br />

loans and receivables measured at amortized cost are<br />

calculated as the present value of future cash flows discounted<br />

at the effective rate in force on initial recognition<br />

of the asset. Assets with a time to maturity of less<br />

than one year are not discounted.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 71


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 1 Continued Environmental obligations<br />

Impairment of held-to-maturity investments and<br />

loans and receivables recognized at amortized cost are<br />

reversed if a later increase in the recoverable amount<br />

can be objectively attributed to an event occurring<br />

after the date of the impairment loss.<br />

Provisions<br />

A provision is recognized in the balance sheet when<br />

the Group has a current legal or informal obligation<br />

that has arisen as a result of a past event, it is probable<br />

that an outflow of resources will be required to settle<br />

the obligation and the amount can be estimated reliably.<br />

When the timing effect of payment is significant,<br />

provisions are measured at discounted present value<br />

using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market<br />

assessments of the time value of money.<br />

Termination remuneration<br />

A provision is recognized only if the company is<br />

demonstrably committed to terminate an employee or<br />

group of employees before the normal retirement date.<br />

In the event of termination, the company draws up a<br />

detailed plan including at least the place of work, as<br />

well as the amount of compensation for each employee<br />

and the time of the plan’s implementation.<br />

Onerous contracts<br />

A large share of the revenues is attributable to contracts<br />

with public transport authorities where the contracts<br />

extend for between five and eight years. The contractual<br />

terms commonly stipulate that the revenues<br />

shall be adjusted upwards in accordance with set<br />

indexes, either consumer price indexes or various producer<br />

price indexes. Due to changed conditions and<br />

because the costs increase more than the revenues, the<br />

contracts can become loss or onerous contracts, which<br />

is when the remaining contracted revenues are not<br />

enough to cover the costs attributable to the contracts<br />

to fulfill the contractual commitment. A provision for<br />

future losses is then made in the period that management<br />

identifies the contract as an onerous contract.<br />

The loss is estimated by including direct and indirect<br />

costs attributable to the contract, including depreciation<br />

of buses used to fulfill the commitment. The provision<br />

is made at the public transport authority level<br />

if there is a natural connection between the various<br />

contracts. In a tender process, tenders can be submitted<br />

for multiple contracts, where some are profitable<br />

and others entail a loss, but the transaction as such<br />

provides a surplus.<br />

Third-party obligations<br />

Provisions are made for damages that occurred to the<br />

Group’s own vehicles that have not complied with<br />

traffic safety or contract requirements or against third<br />

parties. The provision shall cover future obligations<br />

to third parties.<br />

72 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Provisions are made for existing and future environmental<br />

obligations on leased land and facilities that<br />

are, or have been, used in operations.<br />

Pensions<br />

The Group has both defined-contribution and<br />

defined-benefit pension plans. The pension liabilities<br />

pertain to defined-benefit pensions, calculated annually<br />

in accordance with IAS 19 with assistance from<br />

an independent actuary. In the defined-contribution<br />

pension plans, <strong>Nobina</strong> pays a fixed contribution<br />

according to plan and has no further obligation to pay<br />

post-employment contributions. Under the defined<br />

benefit for <strong>Nobina</strong> Norway AS and <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe<br />

<strong>AB</strong>, benefits are paid to former employees on the basis<br />

of final salary and years of service. The Group bears the<br />

risk of ensuring that the contractual benefits are paid.<br />

Pension obligations for most of the Swedish operations<br />

are covered by a defined-benefit pension plan of<br />

the multi-employer type. The plan is insured in the<br />

mutual insurance company Alecta. The Group has not<br />

had access to sufficient information to report its proportional<br />

share of the defined-benefit obligation and<br />

of the plan assets and expenses. The plan is therefore<br />

recognized as a defined-contribution plan, which<br />

means that premiums paid are recognized as an<br />

expense. In the Swedish operations, there is also a<br />

defined-benefit pension plan that is funded.<br />

The Group’s net obligation under defined-benefit<br />

plans is determined separately for each plan according<br />

to the Projected Unit Credit Method. This means that<br />

the obligation is calculated as the present value of<br />

expected future pension payments. The obligation<br />

calculated accordingly is compared with the fair value<br />

of the plan assets that secure the obligation. The difference<br />

is recognized as a liability/asset with respect to<br />

accrued actuarial gains/losses. The calculation of<br />

future payments is based on actuarial assumptions<br />

that include life expectancy, future salary increases,<br />

employee turnover and other factors of significance<br />

for the choice of discount rate.<br />

Changes in and deviations from the actuarial<br />

assumptions normally lead to actuarial gains or losses.<br />

Actuarial gains and losses are recognized only when<br />

the accumulated gain or loss are below 10% of the<br />

higher of the present value of plan obligations and the<br />

fair value of plan assets. If the accumulated gain or loss<br />

exceeds the above-mentioned limit, the excess portion<br />

is recognized in income or expense over the expected<br />

average remaining working lives of the participating<br />

employees.<br />

When calculation leads to an asset for the Group,<br />

the recognized value of the asset is limited to the net<br />

total of unrealized actuarial losses and past service costs<br />

and the present value of any benefits available in the<br />

form of refunds or reductions in future employer<br />

contributions to the plan.<br />

Options regarding shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

Received option premiums are recognized directly<br />

against equity. When an issued share option is repurchased,<br />

the remuneration paid is recognized against<br />

shareholder’ equity.<br />

Earnings per share<br />

Earnings per share before dilution are calculated by<br />

dividing profit for the year adjusted for any dividends<br />

from preferential shares by the average number of<br />

common shares.<br />

Cash flow<br />

The cash flow statement has been prepared based on<br />

profit and loss and other changes between the opening<br />

and closing balances in the balance sheet, taking into<br />

account translation differences. The cash flow was prepared<br />

according to the indirect method. The recognized<br />

cash flow consists of transactions that generate<br />

deposits and payments. Cash and cash equivalents in<br />

the cash flow statement include cash in hand, driver<br />

cash and bank funds.<br />

Parent Company accounting policies<br />

The financial statements for the Parent Company,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>, were prepared in accordance with the<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> Act, other Swedish legislation and recommendation<br />

RFR 2 “Accounting for Legal Entities.”<br />

Any deviations that exist between the Parent Company<br />

and the Group’s policies are a result of the Swedish<br />

<strong>Annual</strong> Account Act’s limitations on the scope for<br />

IFRS conformity in the Parent Company, and for tax<br />

purposes in some instances.<br />

Group contribution for legal entities<br />

The company reports Group contributions in accordance<br />

with UFR 2. Group contributions are reported in<br />

accordance with their financial significance, which<br />

means that Group contributions paid to minimize the<br />

Group’s overall tax burden are recognized directly in<br />

profit brought forward less the current tax effect.


NotE 2 Segment reporting<br />

reVeNue BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 4,459 4,227<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 323 192<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 783 733<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 756 801<br />

Elimination of sales to Interregional traffic –54 –56<br />

Total Regional traffic 6,267 5,897<br />

swebus 430 412<br />

elimination of sales to regional traffic - –1<br />

Total Interregional traffic 430 411<br />

Total revenue 6,697 6,308<br />

OperAtING prOFIt/lOss BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 242 205<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark –53 –30<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 21 21<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 7 7<br />

Total Regional traffic 217 203<br />

swebus 40 42<br />

Total Interregional traffic 40 42<br />

Total bus operations 257 245<br />

central functions and other items –25 –53<br />

Total operating profit 232 192<br />

Assets BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M <strong>2011</strong>-02-28 <strong>2010</strong>-02-28<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 3,109 2,739<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 147 64<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 912 1,048<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 491 527<br />

Total Regional traffic 4,659 4,378<br />

swebus 216 161<br />

Total Interregional traffic 216 161<br />

Total bus operations 4,875 4,539<br />

central functions and other items 298 319<br />

Total assets 5,173 4,858<br />

lI<strong>AB</strong>IlItIes BY seGMeNt<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 2,781 2,408<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 147 39<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 501 545<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 441 444<br />

Total Regional traffic 3,870 3,436<br />

swebus 190 125<br />

Total Interregional traffic 190 125<br />

Total bus operations 4,060 3,561<br />

central functions and other items 935 1,160<br />

Total liabilities 4,995 4,721<br />

INVestMeNts IN tANGIBle AND<br />

FINANcIAl Assets BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 649 658<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 100 12<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 32 308<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 75 114<br />

Total Regional traffic 856 1,092<br />

swebus 38 1<br />

Total Interregional traffic 38 1<br />

Total bus operations 894 1,093<br />

central functions and other items 17 13<br />

Total investments 911 1,106<br />

Investments in tangible and financial assets consist of finance leases for SEK 731<br />

million (971) which have no effect in liquidity in the operating segments.<br />

DeprecIAtION/IMpAIrMeNt BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 231 241<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 10 1<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 58 45<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 42 43<br />

Total Regional traffic 341 330<br />

swebus 21 2<br />

Total Interregional traffic 21 2<br />

Total bus operations 362 332<br />

central functions and other items 10 8<br />

Total depreciation/impairment 372 340<br />

For information on financial leasing assets and liabilities as well as operating leases, refer to Note 6. For information on goodwill, refer to Note 12.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 73


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 3 NET SALES<br />

Sales include other operating income, which primarily consists of revenue from leasing, the sale of fuel and diesel and revenue from workshop services to external customers.<br />

Sales to one major customer in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden segment represent 23% (24) of the Group’s total sales.<br />

Distribution of revenue, SEK M<br />

74 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

revenue regional and Interregional traffic 6,530 6,163 - -<br />

leasing, workshop services and sale of diesel 16 16 - -<br />

Other revenue 151 129 - -<br />

sales to Group companies - - 133 35<br />

Total revenue 6,697 6,308 133 35<br />

NotE 4 Operating expenses<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Fuel 993 882 - -<br />

tires and other consumables 514 489 - -<br />

Total fuel, tires and consumables 1,507 1,371 - -<br />

leasing costs 266 266 - -<br />

Other external expenses 905 861 64 15<br />

Total other expenses 1,171 1,127 64 15<br />

salary expenses 2,629 2,511 32 18<br />

employer’s contributions 602 592 10 9<br />

pension expenses 177 172 7 2<br />

Total personnel expenses 3,408 3,275 49 29<br />

Purchases from Group companies<br />

The Group’s operating expenses include purchases of SEK 0 million (0) from other companies in the Group of which <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> is a member. The Parent Company’s<br />

operating expenses include purchases of SEK 30 million (4) from Group companies.<br />

NotE 5 Fees and remuneration to auditors<br />

Fees and compensation to auditors, SEK thousand<br />

ernst & Young<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Audit assignment 3,618 4,605 372 1,756<br />

Associated audit services in addition to audit assignment 1,295 449 776 295<br />

tax advisory services 39 - - -<br />

Other services - - - -<br />

Total 4,952 5,054 1,148 2,051


NotE 6 Leasing<br />

FINANcIAl leAsING cONtrActs, VeHIcles<br />

Finance lease assets Group<br />

SEK M<br />

Cost<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 2,841 1,951<br />

New contracts signed during the year 731 971<br />

sales for the year –17 –14<br />

exchange-rate difference –70 –67<br />

Closing cost 3,485 2,841<br />

Accumulated depreciation<br />

Opening accumulated depreciation –437 –256<br />

Depreciation for the year –243 –193<br />

sales for the year 15 6<br />

exchange-rate difference 9 6<br />

Closing accumulated depreciation –656 –437<br />

Residual value according to plan 2,829 2,404<br />

During the year, the Group entered into financial lease contracts for SEK 731 million<br />

(971) via the subsidiary <strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet <strong>AB</strong>. Assets held as finance leases are depreciated<br />

in accordance with the same depreciation principles as owned assets. The<br />

grounds for how the company’s fees are established based on the lease terms. The<br />

leasing expenses are normally based on either straightline amortization or an annuity<br />

payment with variable amortization over time. The proportion of straightline amortization<br />

amounts to 50%. The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group’s standard contracts have a duration<br />

of more than 10 years at 10% residual value. Interest expense is calculated as the contract<br />

interest rate on the outstanding liability at all times. The contract interest rate<br />

normally comprises a variable base interest rate such as STIBOR with the addition<br />

of a fixed margin. The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group is liable for the remaining residual value at the<br />

end of the agreement. No substantial secondary leasing of leased buses took place<br />

during the fiscal year.<br />

FINANce leAse Assets BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 1,885 1,601<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 81 2<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 408 412<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 310 265<br />

Total Regional traffic 2,684 2,280<br />

swebus 145 124<br />

Total Interregional traffic 145 124<br />

Total finance lease assets 2,829 2,404<br />

FINANce leAse lI<strong>AB</strong>IlItIes BY seGMeNt<br />

Distribution of future minimum leasing fees with regard to finance leases and their present value divided by maturity date<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

EXPECTED MATURITY MARCH 1, <strong>2011</strong> AND LATER Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Later Total<br />

Future minimum leasing fees 113 111 115 111 544 496 414 1,292 3,196<br />

present value of future minimum leasing fees 111 109 112 106 503 438 351 1,003 2,733<br />

Distribution of future minimum leasing fees with regard to finance leases and their present value divided by maturity date<br />

EXPECTED MATURITY MARCH 1, <strong>2010</strong> AND LATER Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 <strong>2011</strong>/12 2012/13 2013/14 Later Total<br />

Future minimum leasing fees 85 92 100 105 430 530 479 1,083 2,904<br />

present value of future minimum leasing fees 85 91 97 101 401 466 403 710 2,354<br />

* Historic data concerning residual values, leasing periods and other contractual terms have been translated to obtain a comparison between the periods.<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 1,827 1,569<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 80 2<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 396 409<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 291 255<br />

Total Regional traffic 2,594 2,235<br />

swebus 139 119<br />

Total Interregional traffic 139 119<br />

Total finance lease liabilities 2,733 2,354<br />

FINANce leAse eXpeNses BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 241 190<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 10 -<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 68 45<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 40 36<br />

Total Regional traffic 359 271<br />

swebus 25 18<br />

Total Interregional traffic 25 18<br />

Total finance lease expenses 384 289<br />

DeprecIAtION OF FINANce leAse<br />

Assets BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 157 133<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 6 -<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 35 27<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 26 21<br />

Total Regional traffic 224 181<br />

swebus 19 12<br />

Total Interregional traffic 19 12<br />

Total depreciation of capitalized<br />

leases by segment 243 193<br />

INterest eXpeNses FOr FINANce leAse<br />

lI<strong>AB</strong>IlItIes BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 55 47<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 3 -<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 24 16<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 7 6<br />

Total Regional traffic 89 69<br />

swebus 5 3<br />

Total Interregional traffic<br />

Total interest expenses for finance<br />

5 3<br />

leases by segment 94 72<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 75


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 6 Continued<br />

Future MINIMuM leAsING Fees cONcerNING<br />

FINANce leAse lI<strong>AB</strong>IlItIes AND<br />

tHeIr preseNt VAlue<br />

SEK M<br />

Distribution of future minimum leasing fees with regard to operating leases by maturity date<br />

EXPECTED MATURITY MARCH 1, <strong>2011</strong> AND LATER Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 Later Total<br />

Future minimum leasing fees 59 83 59 63 233 176 124 319 1,116<br />

present value of future minimum leasing fees 59 82 57 61 221 160 109 233 982<br />

Distribution of future minimum leasing fees with regard to operating leases by maturity date *<br />

EXPECTED MATURITY MARCH 1, <strong>2010</strong> AND LATER Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 <strong>2011</strong>/12 2012/13 2013/14 Later Total<br />

Future minimum leasing fees 72 71 59 62 261 238 178 443 1,384<br />

present value of future minimum leasing fees 72 70 54 60 246 216 157 344 1,219<br />

* Historic data concerning residual values, leasing periods and other contractual terms have been translated to obtain a comparison between the periods.<br />

76 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

total future minimum leasing fees 3,196 2,904<br />

less interest charge –463 –550<br />

present value of future minimum leasing fees 2,733 2,354<br />

OperAtING leAsING AGreeMeNts, VeHIcles<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Operating leasing fees for the year 266 266<br />

Number of operational leasing agreements 1,494 1,529<br />

Future MINIMuM leAsING Fees<br />

reGArDING NON-cANcell<strong>AB</strong>le<br />

OperAtING leAses<br />

total future minimum leasing fees 1,116 1,384<br />

less interest charge –134 –165<br />

Present value of future minimum<br />

leasing fees 982 1,219<br />

The grounds for how variable fees are established based on the lease terms. The leasing<br />

expenses are normally based on either straightline amortization or an annuity<br />

payment with variable amortization over time. The proportion of contracts with<br />

annuity payments is approximately 95% of the operating contracts. The durations of<br />

the operating contracts are divided into blocks where the first one is usually five years<br />

with a residual value of approximately 40% and then extensions of up to seven years<br />

and down to 0% in residual value. Interest expense is calculated as the contract interest<br />

rate on the outstanding liability at all times. The contract interest rate normally<br />

comprises a variable base interest rate such as STIBOR or EURIBOR with the<br />

addition of a fixed margin. At the end of the contracts, the buses are returned to<br />

the lessor. The lessor is responsible for the residual value. No substantial secondary<br />

leasing of leased buses took place during the fiscal year.<br />

OperAtING leAse eXpeNses BY seGMeNt<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 210 212<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 31 18<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 8 13<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 14 15<br />

Total Regional traffic 263 258<br />

swebus 3 8<br />

Total Interregional traffic 3 8<br />

Total operating lease expenses by segment 266 266<br />

NOMINAl VAlue OF Future MINIMuM<br />

leAsING Fees per seGMeNt<br />

MSEK<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 964 1,176<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 72 103<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 18 26<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 58 74<br />

Total Regional traffic 1,112 1,379<br />

swebus 4 5<br />

Total Interregional traffic 4 5<br />

Total nominal value of future minimum<br />

leasing fees per segment 1,116 1,384<br />

preseNt VAlue OF Future MINIMuM<br />

leAsING Fees pertAINING tO OperAtING<br />

leAses BY seGMeNt<br />

MSEK<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 839 1,029<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark 69 96<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 16 24<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 53 66<br />

Total Regional traffic 977 1,215<br />

swebus 5 4<br />

Total Interregional traffic<br />

Total nominal value of future minimum<br />

5 4<br />

leasing fees per segment 982 1,219


NotE 6 Continued<br />

OtHer OperAtING leAsING AGreeMeNts<br />

paid and future rents in accordance with non-cancellable agreements where<br />

obligations exceed one year<br />

SEK M<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> 2012 2013 2014 2015 and later<br />

property rents 125 135 117 107 84<br />

leases for vehicles excluding buses 2 5 4 3 -<br />

Other operating leasing agreements 1 - - - -<br />

Total nominal value of other operating leases 128 140 121 110 84<br />

NotE 7 PERSONNEL<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Average number of employees 9,023 10,403 44 8<br />

of whom, men 7,709 8,862 31 6<br />

of whom, women 1,314 1,541 13 2<br />

Number of employees translated to Ftes 7,714 7,318 44 8<br />

Sweden 6,386 8,363 44 8<br />

of whom, men 5,332 6,966 31 6<br />

of whom, women 1,054 1,397 13 2<br />

Number of employees translated to Ftes 5,684 5,425 44 8<br />

Denmark 445 243 - -<br />

of whom, men 388 224 - -<br />

of whom, women 57 19 - -<br />

Number of employees translated to Ftes 355 219 - -<br />

Norway 1,157 771 - -<br />

of whom, men 1,012 703 - -<br />

of whom, women 145 68 - -<br />

Number of employees translated to Ftes 829 670 - -<br />

Finland 1,035 1,026 - -<br />

of whom, men 977 969 - -<br />

of whom, women 58 57 - -<br />

Number of employees translated to Ftes 846 1,004 - -<br />

Salaries and other remuneration (of which, bonus), SEK M<br />

sweden, Board and senior executives 1) 14,(2) 23,(2) 9 (1) 14 (1)<br />

Other employees in sweden 1,678 (4) 1,618 (6) 21 (1) 8 (0)<br />

Total Sweden 1,692 (6) 1,641 (8) 30 (2) 22 (1)<br />

Foreign subsidiaries<br />

Denmark, Board and president 3 3 - -<br />

Denmark, other employees 167 107 - -<br />

Norway, Board and president 2 2 - -<br />

Norway, other employees 336 305 - -<br />

Finland, Board and president 2 2 - -<br />

Finland, other employees 361 376 - -<br />

TOTAL SALARIES AND OTHER REMUNERATION 2,563 2,436 - -<br />

payroll overheads 778 765 17 11<br />

of which, pension costs for Board and president 5 2 3 1<br />

of which, pension costs for other employees 168 139 3 1<br />

1) The figures for the Group refer to the boards and presidents of all Swedish Group companies.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 77


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 7 Continued<br />

BOArD Me<strong>MB</strong>ers AND OtHer seNIOr eXecutIVes<br />

78 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Group Number Of whom, men Number Of whom, men<br />

Board of Directors 6 83% 6 67%<br />

president and senior<br />

executives 14 71% 8 100%<br />

reMuNerAtION AND OtHer BeNeFIts<br />

tO tHe BOArD DurING tHe YeAr<br />

SEK M<br />

Board chairman<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Jan sjöqvist 0.6 1.8<br />

Board members<br />

Gina Germano 0.0 0.0<br />

Jan sundling 0.2 0.7<br />

Birgitta Kantola 0.2 0.0<br />

tomas Naess 0.0 0.0<br />

rolf lydahl 0.2 0.7<br />

Total 1.2 3.2<br />

reMuNerAtION tO tHe BOArD cHAIrMAN AND OtHer BOArD Me<strong>MB</strong>ers<br />

Remuneration to the Chairman and other members of the Board is paid according<br />

to the decision of the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting. No remuneration in excess of that<br />

decided by the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting is paid. The President receives no Board<br />

fees. During the year, <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> paid pension benefits to former Board members in<br />

an amount of SEK 0.1 million (0.1), where the Board members are entitled to lifelong<br />

remuneration from the company. Two previous members from Group management<br />

are entitled to life-long remuneration from the company, which is secured<br />

through endowment insurance, SEK 13 million.<br />

reMuNerAtION AND OtHer BeNeFIts tO<br />

tHe presIDeNt AND seNIOr eXecutIVes<br />

DurING tHe YeAr<br />

SEK M<br />

president<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

salary 4.5 9.5<br />

Bonus 1.2 0.6<br />

pension expenses 1.4 3.0<br />

Other benefits - -<br />

social security contributions and taxes 1.9 3.3<br />

Other senior executives<br />

salary 18.5 15.4<br />

Bonus 2.3 1.4<br />

pension expenses 3.4 2.0<br />

Other benefits 0.2 -<br />

social security contributions and taxes 5.0 5.0<br />

Total 38.4 40.2<br />

Nu<strong>MB</strong>er OF sHAres tO tHe BOArD AND seNIOr eXecutIVes<br />

Number of shares Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

chairman of the Board<br />

Jan sjöqvist 65,363 65,363<br />

Board members<br />

Gina Germano - -<br />

Jan sundling 13,779 13,779<br />

Birgitta Kantola - -<br />

thomas Naess - -<br />

rolf lydahl 14,696 14,696<br />

senior executives<br />

ragnar Norbäck 101,112 101,112<br />

per skärgård 35,745 35,745<br />

Jan Bosaeus 26,000 26,000<br />

Joakim palmqvist 8,334 8,334<br />

tom Ward 8,250 8,250<br />

stein Nilsen - -<br />

sjur Brenden 10,428 10,428<br />

Ann-Marie silokangas - -<br />

Martin pagrotsky 1,667 1,667<br />

Annika Kolmert 1,667 1,667<br />

Henrik Dagnäs 1,667 1,667<br />

Anna Jonasson - -<br />

lars Åkesson - -<br />

claes Herlitz - -<br />

Other senior executives 99,334 99,334<br />

Total number of shares, calculated after<br />

implemented reversed 9 for 1 split 388,042 388,042<br />

sHAre OptION prOGrAMs<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> has issued three share option programs. Program 1, issued on June 24,<br />

2005, consisted of 1,052,000 warrants (buyback November 3, 2008); Program 2,<br />

issued on November 8, 2005, consisted of 304,569 warrants (buyback November 3,<br />

2008) and Program 3, issued on January 19, 2009, consisted of 1,640,925 share<br />

option (buyback 2009/<strong>2010</strong>).<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> bought back all warrants issued by the company. Compensation for<br />

the redemption of issued warrants comprises in cash according to an independent<br />

market valuation of the warrants.<br />

The fundamental motive for the buyback of warrants is that there is currently no<br />

organized trading of the company’s shares.<br />

At the redemption date, holders of the issued warrants have also undertaken to<br />

reinvest part of the proceeds in a shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>. The shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

were acquired at market value, according to an external valuation.<br />

reMuNerAtION tO tHe presIDeNt AND seNIOr eXecutIVes<br />

Senior executives in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group include the President, CFO, presidents of<br />

subsidiaries, positions reporting directly to the President and the Group’s functions<br />

responsible for processes. The total remuneration to the President and CEO and<br />

other senior executives includes fixed salaries, short and long-term variable remuneration,<br />

pensions and other benefits. In the event of termination of employment, senior<br />

executives in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Group are entitled to a maximum of 12 monthly salaries.<br />

As a rule, there is a six-month mutual term of notice between the company and<br />

the senior executive. In addition, a maximum of six months’ compensation may be<br />

paid in the event that the company has terminated employment. For the President<br />

and CEO and other senior executives employed in Sweden, a supplemental pension<br />

plan is applied in addition to the ITP plan.


NotE 7 Continued<br />

Variable remuneration to the President<br />

In addition to fixed remuneration, the President is entitled to a special bonus as a<br />

result of a new employment contract entered into the <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> fiscal year. Variable<br />

compensation shall be based on the individual’s performance and the company’s performance<br />

in relation to predetermined and established goals. Evaluation of these<br />

goals shall take place annually. Variable compensation shall also include a cash bonus<br />

as determined by the Board of Directors and, for the President, share-based payment<br />

of which compensation in shares may be able to amount to a maximum of 140% of<br />

the President’s fixed annual salary to be paid out over three years. Share-based payment<br />

shall be conditional upon the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting taking the required<br />

decisions for delivery of shares according to the established share-based payment.<br />

Pension benefits of the President<br />

The retirement age for the President of the Parent Company is 62. Pension expenses<br />

for the company are reduced to 90% of salary on retirement at the age of 62–63,<br />

80% of salary on retirement at the age of 63–64 and 70% of salary on retirement at<br />

the age of 64–65. <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>’s obligations to the President cease on retirement at 65<br />

years of age. Pension expenses comprise defined-contribution pensions, for which<br />

the premium is equal to 30% of pensionable salary. Pensionable salary comprises<br />

basic salary as long as the President remains in the company’s employment. Severance<br />

benefits are pensionable.<br />

Pension terms to other members of Group management<br />

Pension expenses comprise defined-contribution pensions, for which the premium is<br />

equal to a maximum of 30% of pensionable salary. Endowment insurance has in<br />

some cases been used for senior executives when the level of the pension form the<br />

company has promised exceeds the permitted amounts of the Income Tax Act.<br />

Sick pay for the President<br />

The President is insured up to 90% of salary for a maximum of 365 days per calendar<br />

year, with no qualifying days.<br />

Other employment benefits of the President<br />

Aside from the described taxable benefits, there is also healthcare insurance and<br />

holdings of shares in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

Vacation for President and other senior executives<br />

The President and other senior executives comply with applicable vacation rights.<br />

Parent Company Number<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Of whom,<br />

men Number<br />

Of whom,<br />

men<br />

Board of Directors 6 83% 6 67%<br />

president and senior<br />

executives 4 100% 2 100%<br />

seNIOr eXecutIVes<br />

Senior executives (Group management) in the Parent Company include the President<br />

and CEO, the CFO and Executive Vice President of the Group, the President<br />

of <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong> and Executive Vice President of the Group and the President<br />

of Swebus Express <strong>AB</strong>.<br />

sIcKNess <strong>AB</strong>seNce – pAreNt cOMpANY<br />

Information on sickness absence<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

total sickness absence 1.0% -<br />

long-term sickness absence in relation to<br />

normal working hours 19.7% -<br />

sickness absence for women 1.9% -<br />

sickness absence for men 0.6% -<br />

sickness absence under the age of 29 1.1 % -<br />

sickness absence employees aged 30–49 1.1 % -<br />

sickness absence employees aged 50 and over 0.9% -<br />

No disclosures about sickness absence are provided for prior years since the number<br />

of employees was fewer than ten.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 79


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 8 Depreciation/amortization of and impairment losses on intangible and tangible fixed assets<br />

SEK M<br />

NotE 10 Interest expense and similar profit/loss items<br />

SEK M<br />

80 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Interest expense, financial leasing –94 –72 - -<br />

Interest expense, bond loans –124 –164 - -<br />

Other financial expenses –32 –13 - –1<br />

realized and unrealized exchange gains/loss, net 66 168 –2 –6<br />

Total –184 –81 –2 –7<br />

Interest expense amounted to SEK 215 million (228) and is attributable to liabilities recognized at amortized cost.<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Other intangible non-current assets 3 1 2 -<br />

costs for improvements on third-party properties 2 3 - -<br />

equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings 18 18 3 -<br />

Vehicles 349 318 - -<br />

Total 372 340 5 -<br />

Impairments for the year with regard to buses for sale are SEK 6 million (17) for <strong>Nobina</strong> Sweden, SEK 3 million (-) for <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland and SEK 5 million (-) for<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway.<br />

NotE 9 Interest income and similar profit/loss items<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Financial income - 1 - -<br />

Interest income 11 9 - -<br />

Interest income from Group companies - - 44 8<br />

Total 11 10 44 8<br />

The Group earns interest on its bank deposits according to an interest rate based on the bank’s daily investment interest rates. Of the above interest income and similar profit/<br />

loss items, SEK 10 million (11) was paid during the year.


NotE 11 Taxes<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

tax attributable to previous years - - - -<br />

current tax - - - -<br />

Deferred tax - - 8 14<br />

Total tax recognized in the income statement - - 8 14<br />

The difference the Group’s recognized tax cost and the estimated tax cost<br />

is based on the applicable tax rates and described below:<br />

SEK M<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

tax recognized in the income statement - - 8 14<br />

26% tax on profit before taxes –15 –31 –15 2<br />

Difference<br />

The difference comprises the following items:<br />

15 31 23 12<br />

Group contributions received/granted - - 8 14<br />

utilization/addition of previously non-capitalized loss carry-forwards 15 31 15 –2<br />

Total 15 31 23 12<br />

The corporate tax rate in Norway is 28%, Denmark 25%, and in Finland and Sweden 26.3%. Current tax declined by SEK 15 M (31) due to the utilization of loss carry-forwards.<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Tax assets and tax liabilities, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Deferred tax assets<br />

Opening carrying amount 8 8 - -<br />

exchange-rate differences –1 - - -<br />

Total deferred tax assets 7 8 - -<br />

Deferred tax liabilities - - - -<br />

Net deferred tax assets and liabilities pertaining to loss carry-forwards 7 8 - -<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Non-recognized, deferred tax assets, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening non-recognized amount 488 579 136 157<br />

utilization/addition of previously non-capitalized loss carry-forwards –15 –31 –15 2<br />

recognition of financial leasing 12 6 - -<br />

Group contributions - - –8 –14<br />

Non-taxable revenues and non-deductible expenses - - - -<br />

Other temporary differences 3 –2 - 2<br />

reclassifications from previous years 6 –18 - -<br />

changes in the current tax rate - –36 - –11<br />

exchange-rate differences –5 –10 - -<br />

Total deferred non-recognized tax assets 489 488 113 136<br />

Expected maturity of taxable loss carry-forwards, SEK M<br />

2012/13 - - - -<br />

2013/14 1 12 - -<br />

2014/15 21 24 - -<br />

2015/16 19 21 - -<br />

2016/17 17 19 - -<br />

2017/18 17 18 - -<br />

unlimited 1,826 1,815 432 522<br />

Total 1,901 1,909 432 522<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 81


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 12 Intangible fixed assets<br />

82 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Group<br />

Allocation of goodwill by segment, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 383 383<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark - -<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway (goodwill corresponding<br />

NOK 189 M) 216 230<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland 29 29<br />

Total Regional traffic 628 642<br />

Swebus 45 45<br />

Total Interregional traffic 45 45<br />

Total Group goodwill 673 687<br />

Group management has prepared an “impairment test” and found no impairment<br />

requirement for consolidated goodwill. In the assessment of cash-generating units’<br />

NotE 13 Tangible fixed assets<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Cost for improvements on third-party properties, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cOst<br />

Opening cost 16 14 - -<br />

procurement 1 2 - -<br />

Divestments/disposals - - - -<br />

reclassification –1 - - -<br />

Closing cost 16 16 - -<br />

AccuMulAteD DeprecIAtION<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Other intangible non-current assets, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cOst<br />

Opening cost 16 13 - -<br />

procurement 6 3 10 -<br />

reclassification 2 - - -<br />

Closing cost 24 16 10 -<br />

AccuMulAteD AMOrtIZAtION<br />

recovery value for the assessment of any impairment requirement of goodwill, several<br />

assumptions of future conditions and estimates of variables were made to forecast<br />

future cash flow. Forecasts for future cash flow are based on the best possible assessments<br />

of future revenues and operating expenses, which in turn are based on historical<br />

trends, general market conditions and other available information. The discounted<br />

cash-flow value, given an explicit five-year forecast period and subsequently<br />

a so-called terminal value, is based on each company’s income before depreciation<br />

and amortization, which affects the units’ existing and future market shares. The rate<br />

of growth was calculated as 6% (6) per year and area of operation for a five-year<br />

period. Thereafter, the rate of growth was calculated as 0% (0). Company management<br />

assesses that potential reasonable changes in the above variables would not<br />

have such major effects that they would individually reduce the recovery value to a<br />

value that is lower than the carrying amount. The cash flow forecasts are calculated at<br />

present value with a yield requirement, WACC, of 13.7% (13.6).<br />

Opening accumulated amortization –11 –9 - -<br />

Amortization for the year –3 –1 –2 -<br />

reclassification –1 –1 - -<br />

Closing accumulated amortization –15 –11 –2 -<br />

Residual value according to plan 9 5 8 -<br />

Opening accumulated depreciation –9 –6 - -<br />

Divestments/disposals - - - -<br />

Depreciation for the year –2 –3 - -<br />

Closing accumulated depreciation –11 –9 - -<br />

Residual value according to plan 5 7 - -


NotE 13 Continued<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Equipment, tools, fixtures and fittings, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cOst<br />

Opening cost 138 136 - -<br />

procurement 22 22 13 -<br />

Divestments/disposals –7 –17 - -<br />

reclassification –5 - - -<br />

translation difference –2 –3 - -<br />

Closing cost 146 138 13 -<br />

AccuMulAteD DeprecIAtION<br />

Opening accumulated depreciation –96 –97 - -<br />

Divestments/disposals 6 16 - -<br />

Depreciation for the year –18 –18 –3 -<br />

reclassification 2 - - -<br />

translation difference 2 3 - -<br />

Closing accumulated depreciation –104 –96 –3 -<br />

Residual value according to plan 42 42 10 -<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Vehicles including financially leased vehicles, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cOst<br />

Opening cost 4,125 3,619 - -<br />

procurement 882 1,079 - -<br />

Divestments/disposals –294 –445 - -<br />

reclassification –7 - - -<br />

translation difference –104 –128 - -<br />

Closing cost 4,602 4,125 - -<br />

AccuMulAteD DeprecIAtION<br />

Opening accumulated depreciation –1,360 –1,485 - -<br />

Divestments/disposals 265 376 - -<br />

Depreciation for the year –335 –301 - -<br />

reclassification 9 - - -<br />

translation difference 32 50 - -<br />

Closing accumulated depreciation –1,389 –1,360 - -<br />

AccuMulAteD IMpAIrMeNt<br />

Opening accumulated impairment –17 –42 - -<br />

Divestments/disposals 7 42 - -<br />

Impairment for the year –14 –17 - -<br />

Closing accumulated impairment –24 –17 - -<br />

Residual value according to plan 3,189 2,748 - -<br />

Financial leasing is included in the aforementioned amounts, refer to Note 6, and impairment of buses for sale, refer to Note 8.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 83


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 14 Participations in Group companies (Parent Company)<br />

SEK M Corp. Reg. No.<br />

84 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cOst<br />

Opening balance 2,176 2,176<br />

Closing balance 2,176 2,176<br />

Shareholders’<br />

equity<br />

Number<br />

of shares<br />

Profit/loss<br />

for the year<br />

Value of<br />

ownership<br />

share (%)<br />

Share<br />

capital<br />

Carrying<br />

amount<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556031-1812 14 70,000 33 100 7 16<br />

Subsidiary of <strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet <strong>AB</strong>:<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet Danmark Aps (Glostrup) 31586429 1 1,250 1 100 0<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> europe Holding <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556028-1122 630 300 –102 100 0 1,756<br />

Subsidiary of <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe Holding <strong>AB</strong>:<br />

Swedish commercial companies<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> europe <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm)<br />

Subsidiary of <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>:<br />

556031-8569 30 160,000 –71 100 16<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Busco <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556583-0527 28 1,000 –46 100 0<br />

swebus express <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556358-3276 8 5,000 9 100 5<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sverige <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm)<br />

Subsidiary of <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong>:<br />

556057-0128 583 3,000 160 100 0<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Flexresor <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556416-2419 1 1,000 –4 100 0<br />

Foreign commercial companies<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland Oy Ab (Helsinki)<br />

Subsidiary of <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland Oy Ab:<br />

0505988-8 54 2,000 13 100 33<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland West Oy Ab (Helsinki) 2175179-4 –10 2,600 –5 100 0<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland south Oy Ab (Helsinki) 2175178-6 –11 2,600 –6 100 0<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland east Oy Ab (Helsinki) 2175186-6 0 2,600 0 100 0<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway As (Oslo)<br />

Subsidiary of <strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS:<br />

915768237 32 750 –50 100 10<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> (Norway) As (Oslo) 992097353 0 100 0 100 0<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Danmark A/s (copenhagen) 29513376 9 1,250 –66 100 1<br />

Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

AccuMulAteD IMpAIrMeNt<br />

Opening balance –404 –404<br />

Closing balance –404 –404<br />

carrying amount 1,772 1,772<br />

Dormant companies<br />

Karlstadsbuss <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556051-2039 31 3,000 2 100 3<br />

saltsjöbuss <strong>AB</strong> (stockholm) 556210-1500 1 2,500 0 100 0<br />

Total 1,772


NotE 15 Receivables from Group companies<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Cost<br />

Opening cost - - 290 125<br />

change during year - - 55 165<br />

Closing cost - - 345 290<br />

NotE 16 Inventories<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Finished goods 48 40 - -<br />

Total 48 40 - -<br />

The Group’s inventories primarily comprise fuel, which accounts for 51% (47) of total inventory and spare parts.<br />

NotE 17 Accounts receivable<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Accounts receivable 452 496 - -<br />

provision for uncertain accounts receivable –11 –5 - -<br />

Total 441 491 - -<br />

MAturItY perIOD FOr OutstANDING AccOuNts receIV<strong>AB</strong>le<br />

SEK M<br />

Accounts<br />

receivable<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Not due during<br />

reporting period<br />

Fall due within<br />


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 18 Deferred expenses and accrued income<br />

NotE 20 Statement of changes in shareholders’ equity<br />

Share capital<br />

Pursuant to the Articles of Association, the share capital of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> shall amount<br />

to not less than SEK 216,000,000 and not more than SEK 864,000,000. In accordance<br />

with the Articles of Association, there shall be not less than 24,000,000 shares<br />

and not more than 96,000,000 shares. The company’s shares comprise common<br />

shares, which have an entitlement of one vote per share. On December 16, 2009,<br />

the Board resolved to implement a reversed 9 for 1 split (record date March 1, <strong>2010</strong>),<br />

meaning that nine shares are combined to form one.<br />

Reconciliation of number of<br />

shares Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Common shares Preferential shares<br />

Opening balance 24,928,139 -<br />

subscription for new shares - -<br />

redemption of shares - -<br />

Closing balance 24,928,139 -<br />

Reconciliation of number of shares<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Common shares Preferential shares<br />

Opening balance 20,227,650 5,000,000<br />

subscription for new shares 211,521,970 -<br />

redemption of shares - –5,000,000<br />

closing balance before share split<br />

Number of shares recalculated under<br />

231,749,620 -<br />

share split 25,749,957 -<br />

Balance –821,818 -<br />

Closing balance 24,928,139 -<br />

Other capital contributed<br />

Reserves recognized in the Group comprise externally contributed capital, which is<br />

measured at par value.<br />

Translation differences<br />

The translation reserve includes all exchange-rate differences that arise in the translation<br />

of financial statements from foreign operations including changes regarding the<br />

translation of goodwill from local currency.<br />

86 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Accrued transport income 199 160 - -<br />

Other prepaid expenses 162 109 48 17<br />

Total 361 269 48 17<br />

Accrued transport income primarily pertains to earned, but not yet invoiced compensation for transport services rendered.<br />

NotE 19 Cash and cash equivalents and restricted deposits<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cash and cash equivalents 225 331 9 66<br />

restricted bank deposits 110 141 30 33<br />

The item cash and cash equivalents recognizes holdings in the company’s checking accounts tied to the Group account, in which <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> is the account principal.<br />

Restricted bank deposits comprise bank guarantees and leasing contracts. Bank guarantees have been issued for such purposes as guarantees for <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe’s pension liabilities,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS’ commitments pertaining to traffic contracts in Oslo, <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong>’s and Swebus Express’ commitments under the Transport Guarantee Act and <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Sverige <strong>AB</strong>’s undertakings concerning electricity procurement. <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>’s restricted deposits pertain to deposits for leases and traffic start for <strong>Nobina</strong> Danmark AS.<br />

Profit/loss brought forward<br />

Profit/loss brought forward, including profit/loss for the year, includes profits<br />

earned in the Parent Company and its subsidiaries.<br />

Dividend<br />

Dividends are proposed by the Board in accordance with the stipulations of the Swedish<br />

Companies Act and adopted by the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting. Dividends are not<br />

recognized in the Parent Company as a reduction of unrestricted shareholders’ equity<br />

until the date on which a payment is made to shareholders.<br />

Capital management<br />

The aim of the Group’s capital management is to secure the Group’s financial stability,<br />

manage financial risks and ensure the Group’s short and long-term capital<br />

requirements. The Group defines capital as shareholders’ equity as recognized in the<br />

balance sheet. The company’s aim is to create a gain for shareholders by increasing<br />

the value of managed shareholders’ equity. There are no external capital requirements<br />

in addition to those stipulated by the Swedish Companies Act.<br />

NotE 21 Earnings per share<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Group<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Average number of common shares during<br />

the period (thousands) 24,928 16,235<br />

recognized earnings (seK M) 59 121<br />

Dividends for the year on preferential shares (seK M) - –34<br />

Adjusted earnings (seK M) 59 87<br />

Earnings per share (SEK) 2.37 5.36<br />

Earnings per share are calculated by dividing profit for the year adjusted for dividends<br />

for the year on preferential shares by the average number of common shares.<br />

On December 16, 2009, the Board resolved to implement a reversed 9 for 1 split<br />

(record date March 1, <strong>2010</strong>), meaning that nine shares are combined to form one.


NotE 22 Provisions for pensions and similar commitments<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 44 71 1 1<br />

change during year –28 –27 1 -<br />

Closing balance 16 44 2 1<br />

The discount rate is based on the estimated discount rate on the yield produced by<br />

domestic government bonds.<br />

The annual rate of salary increase reflects expected future salary increases as a<br />

combined effect of inflation and years of service. The future pension increase rate<br />

reflects the expected percentage of employees, by age group, who will leave the<br />

company through natural attrition.<br />

The expected average remaining term of service is estimated based on the employees’<br />

current age distribution and the expected employee turnover rate.<br />

Indexation of pension benefits reflects the inflationary rate in each country,<br />

Norway and Sweden.<br />

The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group’s pension expenses amounted to SEK 176 million (172),<br />

of which SEK –6 million (2) pertains to defined-benefit plans.<br />

The key actuarial assumptions used in calculation of the pension liability were as<br />

follows:<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Discount rate 3.3% 3.3%<br />

expected return on plan assets 2.2% 2.3%<br />

expected rate of salary increase 2.5% 2.6%<br />

Future rate of pension increase 1.9% 2.8%<br />

Pension expenses are included in personnel expenses, and comprise the following:<br />

Group<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

cost pertaining to services rendered during<br />

the current period 2 2<br />

Interest expense 8 8<br />

expected return on plan assets –8 –8<br />

Actuarial loss (gain), net –8 –2<br />

cost pertaining to services rendered during<br />

previous periods –1 2<br />

social security fees 1 -<br />

Pension expenses, net –6 2<br />

Specification presenting how fair value of plan assets has been calculated:<br />

Group<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 175 204<br />

expected return on plan assets 8 8<br />

Funds contributed by employer 15 17<br />

Funds paid –19 –23<br />

Actuarial gains (+)/losses (–) –2 –14<br />

exchange-rate differences –9 –17<br />

Total at year-end 168 175<br />

Specification presenting how pension liabilities have been calculated:<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Group<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 222 265<br />

reclassifications from previous years 4 -<br />

Benefits earned during the year - 2<br />

Interest expenses 8 8<br />

Benefits paid –23 –28<br />

Deductions from pension obligations due to<br />

changes in pension terms –8 -<br />

Actuarial gains (+)/losses (–) 2 –18<br />

exchange-rate differences –8 –7<br />

Total at year-end 197 222<br />

Actuarial gains/losses Group<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance actuarial gains (+)/losses (–) –3 –3<br />

Actuarial gains (+)/losses (–),<br />

pension commitments –3 –4<br />

Actuarial gains (+)/losses (–), plan assets –2 4<br />

Deductions from pension obligations due to<br />

changes in pension terms –5 -<br />

Closing balance actuarial gains (+)/losses (–) –13 –3<br />

Specification of pension liability: Group<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

present value of defined-benefit obligations<br />

that are fully or partly funded 130 142<br />

present value on balance-sheet date of<br />

defined-benefit obligations that are fully<br />

unfunded and secured through credit insurance<br />

Net of actuarial gains and losses not<br />

67 80<br />

recognized in the balance sheet –13 –3<br />

Fair value of plan assets on balance-sheet date –168 –175<br />

At year-end 16 44<br />

AllOcAtION OF plAN Assets<br />

Actual market value of plan assets on the balance-sheet date:<br />

Group<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> % Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> %<br />

Interest-bearing<br />

securities, cash and<br />

cash equivalents<br />

shares and other<br />

104 62 127 72<br />

investments 64 38 48 28<br />

Total 168 100 175 100<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 87


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 22 Continued<br />

Allocation of plan assets by segment, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> sweden 33 33<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norway 135 142<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland - -<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Denmark - -<br />

Total Regional traffic 168 175<br />

swebus - -<br />

Total Interregional traffic - -<br />

central functions - -<br />

Total plan assets 168 175<br />

Future payments<br />

The pension liabilities are secured partly through restricted bank deposits and partly<br />

through credit insurance. Given the applied actuarial assumptions, <strong>Nobina</strong> expects<br />

the following paid benefits over the coming five-year period.<br />

88 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Group<br />

Future payments, SEK M <strong>2011</strong> 2012 2013 2014 2015<br />

expected paid benefits 23 20 17 14 21<br />

NotE 24 Interest-bearing non-current liabilities<br />

NotE 23 Other provisions<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Bond loans 826 1,002<br />

period allocation of financial expenses –13 –25<br />

Total 813 977<br />

less, current portion –85 –118<br />

Total non-current liabilities 728 859<br />

Financial leasing liabilities 2,733 2,354<br />

less current component of liabilities to credit institutions –438 –258<br />

Total other non-current liabilities 2,295 2,096<br />

Group<br />

Other provisions, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

provisions for onerous contracts 41 34<br />

provisions for damage to vehicles and<br />

third parties 31 30<br />

provisions for environmental obligations 9 9<br />

provisions for discontinuation expenses - 15<br />

Total 81 88<br />

Group<br />

Provisions for onerous contracts, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 34 29<br />

reversals for the year - –3<br />

provisions for the year 7 8<br />

Closing balance 41 34<br />

Group<br />

Provisions for damage to vehicles and<br />

third parties, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 30 29<br />

reversals for the year - -<br />

provisions for the year 2 2<br />

exchange-rate difference –1 –1<br />

Closing balance 31 30<br />

Group<br />

Provisions for environmental obligations<br />

for leased property and facilities, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 9 8<br />

reversals for the year - -<br />

provisions for the year - 1<br />

Closing balance 9 9<br />

Group<br />

Provisions for discontinuation<br />

expenses, SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Opening balance 15 -<br />

provisions utilized –15 -<br />

provisions for the year - 15<br />

Closing balance - 15<br />

Group


NotE 24 Continued<br />

Non-current liabilities are to be repaid according to the following:<br />

Loan currency Bond loans<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Financial<br />

leasing liabilities Bond loans<br />

Financial<br />

leasing liabilities<br />

<strong>2010</strong>/11 0 0 118 258<br />

<strong>2011</strong>/12 85 438 118 401<br />

2012/13 741 503 766 466<br />

2013/14 - 438 - 403<br />

2014/15 - 351 - 351<br />

later - 1,003 - 475<br />

Interest rate and currency composition of borrowings<br />

826 2,733 1,002 2,354<br />

Loan currency Nominal amount Amount in SEK M Interest, weighted<br />

corporate bonds, eur 94 826 12.5<br />

Financial lease liabilities, seK 2,733 2,733 3.70 *<br />

Total loan liability 3,559<br />

* Average market interest rate.<br />

Non-current liabilities include corporate bonds originally issued by <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> in an amount of EUR 121.5 million. The corporate bonds bear interest at a fixed rate<br />

of 9.125% that is paid semi-annually (on Feb. 1 and August 1) and mature for payment in whole in August 2012. <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe has the possibility of repaying the bond loan<br />

before this date, and if this occurs before August 1, <strong>2011</strong>, a supplemental amount of 1% on the outstanding amount is payable, after which the bond loan can be repaid without<br />

supplemental expense. <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> repaid SEK 115 million (318) of the bond loan. Outstanding corporate bonds amount to EUR 97 million at February 28,<br />

<strong>2011</strong>. In connection with the issuance of corporate bonds, <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> and its subsidiaries undertook to fulfill a number of financial covenants, which include that<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> and its subsidiaries have limited opportunities to raise additional loans, enter into financial lease or sale and leaseback contracts, carry out certain types of<br />

investments and divest assets. Furthermore, these covenants create certain restrictions on payment of dividends by <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> and its subsidiaries. See also Note 28<br />

regarding the company’s financing. All of these covenants were fulfilled at February 28, <strong>2011</strong> and during the fiscal year. When the bond loan was issued, the issue price was discounted<br />

by 7.5%, which is why the original bond liability of EUR 121.5 million contributed EUR 112.4 million in borrowed capital to the company. The issue discount EUR<br />

9.1 million was recognized in the balance sheet and depreciated over the tenure of the loan. The non-depreciated amount will be recognized as income in the event that the<br />

bond loan is redeemed in advance. Costs associated with the raising of loan are expenses over the term of a loan, unless the loan is redeemed in advance, in which case the capitalized<br />

charge is expensed in its entirety.<br />

NotE 25 Other current liabilities<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

employee withholding taxes 55 59 - -<br />

Other current liabilities 79 54 - -<br />

Total 134 113 - -<br />

NotE 26 Accrued expenses and deferred income<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Deferred income 231 197 - -<br />

Accrued salaries 277 240 5 4<br />

Other accrued personnel expenses 153 127 4 2<br />

Accrued interest expense 6 8 - -<br />

Other accrued expenses 162 184 2 1<br />

Total 829 756 11 7<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 89


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 27 Pledged assets and contingent liabilities<br />

Aside from the above, <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> is guarantor for <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong>’s transport obligations<br />

to Stockholm Public Transport. In addition to pledged leasing guarantees,<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> has also pledged a Parent Company guarantee for the purchase of diesel for<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS through Uno-X, SEK 8 million, and for the fulfillment guarantees<br />

of SEK 62 million issued by Atradius for Norwegian public transport authorities.<br />

As collateral for the corporate bonds of EUR 121 million, <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> has<br />

pledged the shares in the operating subsidiaries, foreign subsidiaries and the buses<br />

owned by <strong>Nobina</strong> Busco <strong>AB</strong> and <strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS, and <strong>Nobina</strong> Norge’s operating<br />

receivables and equipment. Furthermore, the subsidiaries have granted chattel mortgages<br />

in an amount of SEK 316 million as collateral, and have furnished guarantees<br />

for the Parent Company’s obligation under the corporate bonds.<br />

The following shares in subsidiaries had been furnished as security at February 28, <strong>2011</strong>:<br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> • <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong><br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland Oy Ab • <strong>Nobina</strong> Busco <strong>AB</strong><br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS • Swebus Express <strong>AB</strong><br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Flexresor <strong>AB</strong> • <strong>Nobina</strong> Danmark AS<br />

The following assets were pledged at February 28, <strong>2011</strong>:<br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Finland Oy Ab has pledged floating charges in an amount of<br />

EUR 5,230,648;<br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong> has pledged floating charges in an amount of<br />

SEK 115,000,000;<br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Busco filial Finland has pledged floating charges in an amount of<br />

EUR 17,561,687;<br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Busco <strong>AB</strong> has pledged its buses in a total amount of SEK 171,775,336, of<br />

which EUR 2,680,772 pertains to buses in the <strong>Nobina</strong> Busco branch in Finland.<br />

• <strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS has pledged its assets in a total amount of SEK 131,814,655.<br />

NotE 28 Financial risks and risk management<br />

All risk management is handled centrally in accordance with a finance policy established<br />

by the Board of Directors. The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group uses derivative instruments<br />

as part of its financial risk management to limit currency, interest rate and diesel<br />

price exposure. At February 28, <strong>2011</strong>, the company had outstanding derivative<br />

instruments in the form of price caps for diesel and electricity derivatives through<br />

Nordpool. At February 28, <strong>2010</strong>, no derivative instruments were outstanding.<br />

During the year, the company continuously had outstanding diesel derivatives,<br />

but no interest rate or currency derivatives.<br />

The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group is mainly exposed to the following risks:<br />

• Liquidity risk • Interest-rate risk<br />

• Refinancing risk • Credit and counterparty risk<br />

• Currency risk • Raw material risk<br />

• Inflation<br />

90 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Group Parent Company<br />

SEK M Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Pledged assets for bond loans<br />

pledged assets pertaining to shares/net assets in subsidiaries 939 953 - -<br />

Other pledged assets 413 573 - -<br />

chattel mortgage 316 337 - -<br />

Other pledged assets<br />

Other pledged assets - - 70 -<br />

contingent liabilities<br />

Guarantee for leasing commitments - - 3,945 3,531<br />

In connection with issuance of the corporate bonds, the following shares in subsidiaries<br />

were pledged:<br />

Group Parent Company<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

sverige <strong>AB</strong> 584 428 - -<br />

shares in swebus<br />

express <strong>AB</strong> 8 11 - -<br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Finland Oy Ab 32 35 - -<br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Busco <strong>AB</strong> 28 72 - -<br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Norway As 247 309 - -<br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Denmark As 9 10 - -<br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Flexresor <strong>AB</strong> 1 1 - -<br />

shares in <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

europe <strong>AB</strong> 30 87 - -<br />

Total 939 953 - -<br />

Hedging policy<br />

The company’s hedging policy is designed to ensure predictability and reduce<br />

volatility in liquidity and operating expenses in a cost-effective manner. The hedging<br />

policy states that the company may enter into hedge contracts for fuel, currency<br />

and interest-rate exposure.<br />

Interest-rate risk<br />

Interest-rate risk refers the risk that movements in market interest rates will negatively<br />

affect the Group’s net interest income. The rate at which interest rate fluctuations affect<br />

net interest income depends on the fixed interest period of the loans. The Group is primarily<br />

exposed to interest-rate risk through the company’s financial and operating leases<br />

since the leasing fees are based on a variable market rate of interest. An increase in the<br />

variable interest rate by 1 percentage point would increase the Group’s interest expense<br />

by approximately SEK 37 million before the effect of compensation through revenue<br />

indexation in the transport contracts. Interest-rate risk is partially compensated by the<br />

inflation component of revenue indexation in the traffic contracts, and there is also an<br />

interest component in the index basket of some traffic contracts. The Group’s bond loan<br />

runs with fixed coupon interest and thereby entails no interest-rate risk.


NotE 28 Continued<br />

Refinancing risk<br />

The Group will be exposed to refinancing risk when an existing bond loan of EUR 97<br />

million matures on August 1, 2012.<br />

Credit and counterparty risk<br />

The Group’s financial transactions give rise to credit risks in relation to financial counterparties.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong>’s finance policy states that credit risk shall be limited by only accepting<br />

counterparties with high credit ratings and through established limits. Commercial<br />

credit risks are limited in that the Group has a diversified customer base with high<br />

credit ratings, primarily comprising municipal and county council-owned public<br />

transport authorities. Provisions have been made for accounts receivable deemed to<br />

be doubtful, and have affected operating profit/loss.<br />

Currency risk<br />

Currency exposure arises in connection with payment flows in foreign currency<br />

(transaction exposure) and with the translation of foreign subsidiaries’ income statements<br />

and balance sheets to SEK (translation exposure).<br />

Transaction exposure – The <strong>Nobina</strong> Group is exposed to exchange rate movements<br />

on its bond loan, which was raised in an amount of EUR 97 million. A weakening<br />

of the SEK by 10% against EUR would increase the groups interest expense<br />

by SEK 8 million per year and would affect profit through an increase of SEK 97<br />

million in the face value in Swedish kronor, which is recognized as an unrealized<br />

foreign exchange loss until actual repayment of the bond loan takes place. The<br />

Group’s finance policy states that currency exposures can be hedged.<br />

NotE 29 Financial instruments<br />

Group<br />

Carrying amount<br />

Financial assets, SEK M<br />

Loans and accounts receivable<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Non-current receivables 1 18<br />

trade receivables 441 491<br />

Other receivables 62 71<br />

Restricted cash and cash equivalents 110 141<br />

Cash and cash equivalents<br />

Financial assets measured at fair value<br />

through profit or loss<br />

225 331<br />

Diesel derivatives, other receivables * 4 -<br />

Group total 843 1,052<br />

* Fair value is determined in accordance with prices listed on an active market,<br />

corresponding to the so-called level one in IFRS 7.<br />

Group<br />

Carrying amount<br />

Financial liabilities, SEK M<br />

Other financial liabilities<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Interest-bearing liabilities, loans 3,559 3,331<br />

trade payables 389 389<br />

Other liabilities<br />

Financial liabilities measured at fair value<br />

134 113<br />

through profit or loss - -<br />

Group total 4,082 3,833<br />

Fair value<br />

The carrying amounts of financial assets and liabilities essentially correspond to<br />

their fair values; apart from the bond loan; see below.<br />

Fair value is determined on the basis of official market quotes on the balance sheet<br />

date. If none such exist, fair value is determined through discounting of future cash<br />

flow to the listed market interest rate for the respective maturities or through some other<br />

method deemed to provide the best estimation of fair value in each individual case.<br />

Translation to SEK occurs at the exchange rate prevailing on the balance sheet date.<br />

Parent Company<br />

Financial assets, SEK M<br />

AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

The Group is also exposed to exchange rate movements through its purchases of<br />

diesel, which is traded in the international commodities markets in USD. This<br />

currency risk can be hedged by entering into diesel derivatives in local currency.<br />

Also refer to the section under “Raw material risk”.<br />

Translation exposure – <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>’s and <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>’s currency exposure<br />

on translation of foreign subsidiaries is normally not hedged.<br />

Raw material risk<br />

The Group is exposed to movements in prices of raw materials through its purchases<br />

of diesel. The raw material price accounts for barely half of the total diesel price and<br />

the remainder pertains to taxes, transports and refinement. Through revenue indices<br />

in its contracts with public transport authorities in regional traffic, the Group is<br />

partly compensated for fluctuations in diesel prices. According to internal calculations,<br />

this index compensation reduces exposure to diesel price fluctuations by close<br />

to 93%. Based on the budgeted diesel consumption and the calculated index compensation,<br />

an increase of the raw material price of 10% would increase the net diesel<br />

expense by approximately SEK 5 million for one fiscal year (excluding effects of<br />

diesel derivatives).<br />

Inflation<br />

Since the terms of the contracts include compensation for costs through the agreed<br />

indices (including inflation), which do not exactly track the cost trend in the industry,<br />

full compensation is not received for cost increases since the industry’s costs are<br />

rising faster than the amount of compensation received through indexation from<br />

the public transport authorities.<br />

Carrying amount<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Loans and accounts receivable<br />

receivables from Group companies, interestbearing<br />

480 361<br />

Other receivables 5 3<br />

Restricted cash and cash equivalents 30 33<br />

Cash and cash equivalents<br />

Financial assets measured at fair value<br />

through profit or loss<br />

9 66<br />

Diesel derivatives, other receivables * 4 -<br />

Group total 528 463<br />

* Fair value is determined in accordance with prices listed on an active market,<br />

corresponding to the so-called level one in IFRS 7.<br />

Parent Company<br />

Financial liabilities, SEK M<br />

Carrying amount<br />

Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

Other financial liabilities<br />

liabilities to Group companies, interest-bearing 38 1<br />

trade payables 9 24<br />

Other liabilities<br />

Financial liabilities measured at fair value<br />

1 -<br />

through profit or loss - -<br />

Group total 48 25<br />

In autumn 2009, the subsidiary <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong> issued a bond loan in a nominal<br />

amount of EUR 121 million. The interest yield on the bond capital is 9.125% per<br />

year. Since the time of issuance, organized trading of the bonds has been conducted.<br />

The traded fair value of the bonds indicates a value at least equal to the nominal amount.<br />

Interest on the financial leasing liability is calculated on variable interest rates<br />

with an unchanged credit margin, which means that the recognized value of the<br />

liability agrees with the fair value.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 91


AccOuNts: NOtes<br />

NotE 30 Related party transactions<br />

Funds managed by Bluebay Asset Management, Fidelity Funds, Avenue Capital,<br />

Thames River Capital and Dynamic Credits Opportunity Fund, all participated in<br />

the Exchange Offer in the 2009/<strong>2010</strong> fiscal year, and used old bonds in an amount<br />

of EUR 112.5 million in exchange for new bonds at a subscription rate of 92.5%,<br />

which resulted in a new nominal amount for the loan of EUR 121.5 million. They<br />

also received the offered subscription premium of 1%.<br />

The new share issue in <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> resolved by the Extraordinary General Meeting<br />

on June 4, 2009, comprising 202,276,500 shares at a price of SEK 4, was completed<br />

in full, thus contributing new capital of SEK 809 million to the company.<br />

Following completion of the share issue, the Board of Directors of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

decided to also redeem the company’s preference shares for SEK 639 million, including<br />

the accrued dividend of SEK 129 million. In connection with the new share<br />

issue and the redemption of preference shares, funds managed by Bluebay Asset<br />

NotE 31 Exchange rates<br />

Exchange rates<br />

92 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

Management have increased their holding of common shares, by exercising their<br />

preferential rights to participate in the share issue and to use the proceeds from the<br />

preference shares as payment for new common shares. Other major shareholders<br />

who participated in the share issue were FidelityFunds, Thames River Capital, Avenue<br />

Capital, JP Morgan Securities and Dresdener VPV.<br />

One (two) member of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>’s Board of Directors is appointed by Blue Bay<br />

Asset Management. This member has not received any director fees in the capacity of<br />

a Member of the Board.<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> has receivables of SEK 329 million (297) from <strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong>. Interest<br />

of SEK 36 million (7) was capitalized during the year. Parties related to the <strong>Nobina</strong><br />

Group are major shareholders, bond holders, senior executives and Group companies.<br />

With regard to other remuneration of the Board of Directors and senior executives,<br />

refer to Note 7.<br />

March 1, <strong>2010</strong><br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Average Closing day exchange dates<br />

March 1, 2009<br />

–Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong> Feb. 28, <strong>2010</strong><br />

eur 9.3472 10.4977 8.818 9.7315<br />

NOK 1.1748 1.2221 1.1365 1.2085<br />

DKK 1.2549 1.4101 1.1825 1.3075<br />

NotE 32 Events after the balance-sheet date<br />

No significant events have occurred after the balance-sheet date.<br />

Stockholm April 26, <strong>2011</strong><br />

The Board of Directors and the President give their assurances that the <strong>Annual</strong> <strong>Report</strong> was prepared in accordance with Swedish GAAP and that the consolidated financial<br />

statements were prepared in accordance with international accounting standards, IFRS, as adopted by the EU ordinance of July 19, 2002 concerning the application<br />

of international accounting standards, and that they provide a fair view of the development of the Parent Company’s and the Group’s position and earnings, and that the<br />

Administration <strong>Report</strong> gives a fair impression of the development of the Parent Company’s and the Group’s operations, position and earnings, while also describing the<br />

significant risks and uncertainties facing the companies included in the Group.<br />

The <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting on May 23, <strong>2011</strong> will resolve on the adoption of the Parent Company’s and the Group’s income statements and balance sheets.<br />

Jan Sjöqvist Thomas Naess<br />

Chairman of the Board<br />

Rolf Lydahl Jan Sundling Birgitta Kantola<br />

Ragnar Norbäck<br />

President<br />

Our auditors’ report was issued on April 29, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Ernst & Young <strong>AB</strong><br />

Erik Åström<br />

Authorized Public Accountant


Auditors’ report<br />

To the annual meeting of the shareholders of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

Corporate registration number 556576-4569<br />

We have audited the annual accounts, the consolidated financial statements, the accounting records and the administration of the Board of Directors<br />

and the President of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong> for the year March 1, <strong>2010</strong>–Feb. 28, <strong>2011</strong>. The annual accounts and the consolidated financial statements of the<br />

company are included in the printed version of this document on pages 56–92. The Board of Directors and the President are responsible for these<br />

financial statements and the administration of the company as well as for the application of the <strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act when preparing the annual<br />

accounts and the application of international financial reporting standards IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the <strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act when preparing<br />

the consolidated financial statements. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the annual accounts, the consolidated financial statements<br />

and the administration based on our audit.<br />

We conducted our audit in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards in Sweden. Those standards require that we plan and perform<br />

the audit to obtain reasonable assurance that the annual accounts and the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement. An<br />

audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing<br />

the accounting principles used and their application by the Board of Directors and the President and significant estimates made by the Board of<br />

Directors and the President when preparing the annual accounts and consolidated financial statements as well as evaluating the overall presentation<br />

of information in the annual accounts and the consolidated financial statements. As a basis for our opinion concerning discharge from liability, we<br />

examined significant decisions, actions taken and circumstances of the company in order to be able to determine the liability, if any, to the company<br />

of any Board member or the President. We also examined whether any board member or the president has, in any other way, acted in contravention<br />

of the Companies Act, the <strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act or the Articles of Association. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion<br />

set out below.<br />

The annual accounts have been prepared in accordance with the <strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act and give a true and fair view of the company’s financial<br />

position and results of operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in Sweden. The consolidated financial statements have<br />

been prepared in accordance with the international financial reporting standards IFRSs as adopted by the EU and the <strong>Annual</strong> Accounts Act and give<br />

a true and fair view of the Group’s financial position and results of operations. The statutory administration report is consistent with the other parts<br />

of the annual accounts and the consolidated financial statements.<br />

We recommend to the annual meeting of shareholders that the income statements and balance sheets of the Parent Company and the Group be<br />

adopted, that the profit of the Parent Company be dealt with in accordance with the proposal in the administration report and that the members of<br />

the Board of Directors and the President be discharged from liability for the financial year.<br />

Stockholm April 29, <strong>2011</strong><br />

Ernst & Young <strong>AB</strong><br />

Erik Åström<br />

Authorized Public Accountant<br />

AuDItOrs’ repOrt<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 93


GlOssArY AND KeY FIGures<br />

Glossary<br />

AIRPORT SHUTTLE Trips that enable connections<br />

to and from airports.<br />

BID A traffic company’s offer in a procurement<br />

process.<br />

CHANGE PRICES How much compensation changes<br />

per bus hour or kilometers within the framework of<br />

the free volume in a contract.<br />

CITY TRANSPORT Transport in a built-up area.<br />

CONCESSION Allocated right to uphold a monopoly<br />

in a geographic area and which comprises all rights to<br />

provide public transport. In Sweden, since the public<br />

transport authority reform in the 1980s, the state<br />

allocates concessions to clients (municipalities and<br />

county councils), which in turn provide public transport<br />

services through contracts with traffic companies.<br />

These contracts are procured in accordance with<br />

the Public Procurement Act.<br />

CONCESSION CONTRACT A form of contract<br />

between a traffic company and a client (municipality/<br />

County council) that was usual prior to the public<br />

transport authority reform and which, in parts,<br />

continues for a transitional period. Under these<br />

contracts, the traffic company undertakes all aspects<br />

of the transport assignment, including the sale of<br />

services to passengers.<br />

CUSTOMERS Passengers that use <strong>Nobina</strong>’s services<br />

regardless of whether they pay for the trip themselves<br />

or via a public transport authority.<br />

EURO 1–EURO 5, EEV Various generations of<br />

emission classes for diesel engines.<br />

EXPRESS ROUTE A longer route on main roads that<br />

provides faster transport through several counties<br />

without more stops.<br />

FREE VOLUME The client’s right to change the<br />

production volume within the framework of the<br />

contract.<br />

GROSS COST CONTRACT A contract in which the<br />

traffic company’s revenues comprise fixed remuneration<br />

for production costs based on a predetermined<br />

production, with route network, timetable and a<br />

number of other requirements as the base. Compensation<br />

is based on the number of hours, kilometers,<br />

buses or a combination of these.<br />

INCENTIVE CONTRACT Normally a gross cost contract<br />

contains to a larger or smaller degree a compensation<br />

component that is variable and depends on<br />

the number of passengers.<br />

INDEXATION Adjustment of the contract-based<br />

remuneration in accordance with a basket of<br />

weighted and predetermined indexes intended to represent<br />

important cost elements for the traffic companies,<br />

such as salaries, fuel and maintenance, and<br />

which occurs at predetermined intervals.<br />

94 NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong><br />

INTERREGIONAL TRAFFIC <strong>Nobina</strong>’s definition of<br />

traffic conducted completely on the initiative<br />

of a traffic company without restrictions or subsidies<br />

from authorities.<br />

NET COST CONTRACT A contract in which the<br />

client compensates the traffic company on the basis of<br />

ticket revenues and subsidies from a given production<br />

volume determined in advance. Compensation to<br />

the traffic company is thus based on demand, while<br />

the client controls the offering.<br />

PRINCIPAL A municipality or county council<br />

allocated concessions by the government to provide<br />

public transport through public procurement of<br />

services from traffic companies.<br />

PUBLIC TRANSPORT Transport services provided<br />

for the public in which people travel together.<br />

PUBLIC TRANSPORT AUTHORITY REFORM<br />

In conjunction with the public transport authority<br />

reform in the 1980s, the government took over the<br />

right to allocate concessions from the municipalities<br />

and county councils. Previously, municipalities and<br />

county councils allocated concessions to traffic companies;<br />

today, the state allocates concessions to<br />

municipalities and county councils (clients), which in<br />

turn sign contracts with traffic companies for the provision<br />

of public transport services. These contracts<br />

are procured in accordance with the Public Procurement<br />

Act.<br />

REGIONAL TRAFFIC <strong>Nobina</strong>’s name for<br />

traffic procured from a public client.<br />

REGIONAL TRANSPORT Transport outside and<br />

between built-up areas in a county.<br />

SUBCONTRACTOR A player assigned by the traffic<br />

company to assist in the provision of transport services.<br />

TRAFFIC ASSIGNMENT A contract between a<br />

traffic company and a client for the provision of transport<br />

services within the framework of a publicly procured<br />

traffic contract, in which compensation is<br />

based on gross, incentive and net agreements.<br />

TRAFFIC COMPANY A company that provides<br />

traffic in accordance with a given contract through<br />

a contract with a client.<br />

TRAFFIC CONTRACT A publicly procured contract<br />

for the provision of transport services between a<br />

traffic company and a client. The contract normally<br />

applies for five to eight years and is based on gross,<br />

incentive and net agreements.<br />

TRAFFIC PLANNING Planning of use of resources<br />

(vehicle and driver) to conduct transport services in<br />

the most efficient manner possible in accordance with<br />

the traffic assignment.<br />

Key figures<br />

AVERAGE NU<strong>MB</strong>ER OF EMPLOYEES<br />

The number of hours paid divided by normal working<br />

hours for a full-time employee.<br />

DEGREE OF UTILIZATION<br />

Number of sold passenger kilometers divided by driven<br />

kilometers.<br />

EARNINGS PER SHARE<br />

Profit for the year adjusted for dividends on preference<br />

shares divided by the average weighted number of<br />

common shares.<br />

EARNINGS PER SHARE, FULLY DILUTED<br />

Profit for the year adjusted for dividends on preference<br />

shares and potential ordinary shares divided by the<br />

average weighted number of common shares.<br />

EBIT<br />

Operating profit before net financial and taxes.<br />

EBT<br />

Income before tax.<br />

EBITDA<br />

Operating profit before depreciation and amortization.<br />

EBITDAR<br />

Operating profit before net financial items, tax, depreciation<br />

and amortization, earnings from sale of fixed assets<br />

and operating leasing expenses for buses.<br />

EQUITY/ASSETS RATIO<br />

Shareholders’ equity as a percentage of total assets at the<br />

end of the fiscal year.<br />

NET INVESTMENTS<br />

Acquisition cost of investments in fixed assets less sales<br />

value of divested fixed assets.<br />

YIELD<br />

Revenue per driven kilometer.


Addresses<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

Armégatan 38<br />

se-171 71 sOlNA<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe<br />

Holding <strong>AB</strong><br />

Armégatan 38<br />

se-171 71 sOlNA<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Europe <strong>AB</strong><br />

Armégatan 38<br />

se-171 71 sOlNA<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Sverige <strong>AB</strong><br />

Armégatan 38<br />

se-171 71 sOlNA<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Danmark A/S<br />

Malervangen 9<br />

DK-2600 GlOstrup<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Norge AS<br />

schweigaardsgate 14<br />

N-0185 OslO<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Finland Oy Ab<br />

Klovinpellontie 5<br />

FIN-02180 espOO<br />

Swebus Express <strong>AB</strong><br />

Armégatan 38<br />

se-171 71 sOlNA<br />

<strong>Nobina</strong> Fleet <strong>AB</strong><br />

Armégatan 38<br />

se-171 71 sOlNA<br />

Production: Vero Kommunikation <strong>AB</strong><br />

Graphical production: Griller Grafisk Form<br />

Photo: peter Hoelstad, Karl-Johan larsson,<br />

peter Ödén, Jan sundberg, per-Anders e Hurtigh,<br />

Photography agencies: Johnér and Folio.<br />

Print: Åtta45, <strong>2011</strong><br />

<strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting<br />

of <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong><br />

BrANscHterMer OcH NYcKeltAl<br />

THE SHAREHOLDERS OF NOBINA <strong>AB</strong> ARE HEREBY INVITED TO<br />

THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ON MONDAY, MAY 23, <strong>2011</strong>,<br />

AT 2:00 P.M. AT THE COMPANY’S PREMISES, ARMÉGATAN 38,<br />

SOLNA, SWEDEN.<br />

Entitlement to participate in the <strong>Annual</strong> General Meeting<br />

Shareholders who wish to participate in the <strong>Annual</strong> General<br />

Meeting must be registered in the shareholders’ register<br />

maintained by Euroclear Sweden <strong>AB</strong> on May 17, <strong>2011</strong>.<br />

The shareholders are also asked to notify <strong>Nobina</strong> of their<br />

attention to attend:<br />

by post to <strong>Nobina</strong> <strong>AB</strong>, Armégatan 38, SE-171 71 Solna,<br />

Sweden, fax to +46 (0)8 546 300 55 or e-mail to<br />

martin.pagrotsky@nobina.com, no later than May 17,<br />

<strong>2011</strong> before 4 p.m.<br />

When registering, please notify the shareholder’s name, address,<br />

telephone number (daytime), personal ID or corporate registration<br />

number, number of shares held and any attending advisors<br />

or representatives.<br />

NOBINA | ANNuAl repOrt <strong>2010</strong>/<strong>2011</strong> 95


NOBINA <strong>AB</strong><br />

ARMÉGATAN 38<br />

SE-171 71 SOLNA<br />

PHONE +46 8 410 650 00<br />

WWW.NOBINA.COM

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