Contracting-out public transport planning: options and prospects

Preston, J. M. (2007) Contracting-out public transport planning: options and prospects. In, Rosario, M., Viegas, J. and Hensher, D.A. (eds.) Competition and Ownership in Land Passenger Transport: Selected Papers from the 8th International Conference. USA. Elsevier, pp. 171-188.

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

This paper describes how contracting-out of public transport has tended to focus mainly on operations. However, this conference series has considered ideas concerning tendering for service specification (the architecture mode) and tendering for planning provision. Yet there has been only limited progress in the contracting-out of such tactical functions in public transport. This paper reviews the options and progress with such contracting-out and this might include an authority contracting-out its transport planning functions to an external party or sub-contracting out certain key functions. It might involve the creation of a third party planning body that includes representation from a range of stakeholders including authorities and operators. Various other forms of public-private partner are possible. Alternatively, contracting-out might involve a tendering regime in which service quantity and quality and fare structure and levels were award criteria along with, instead of, subsidy or in which there were incentives for operators to re-specify the tender in terms of services and fares. The paper concludes that there is a lack of evidence about the efficacy of the various alternatives.

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