Résumé
This study estimates the price effects of horizontal mergers in the French long-distance bus industry. We examine two mergers that followed the 2015 deregulation Act of the Macron Law. Using a unique and exhaustive database, we identify price effects by comparing bus routes affected by mergers to unaffected routes using difference-in-difference estimations with propensity score matching. We find that the two mergers following industry deregulation seem to be associated with price increases and no efficiency gains. Those price increases are diminishing over time.