We compiled a report where different governance schemes throughout Europe can be found and you can see how they work.
To be able to compare these different examples, first we defined which are the most important elements to be compared and analysed. They are divided into two groups:
- Elements describing the governance model
- Elements describing the governance contribution to PT development.
When it comes to the first group, there is a difference between domestic or a cross-border model, because it defines the legislation frame. Also, the type of governance depends on its involved actors, which may be public bodies, private institutions or both. Certain types of cooperation works better on domestic level and others on cross-border level. Another element to be considered is the structure of governance i.e. is just one company in control, are the companies involved rotating or is there an external institution leading the cooperation. This also depends on the level of cooperation (domestic or cross-border) and institutional competences.
Regarding the second group, the influence of the governance on the technical and operational aspects needs to be observed since it significantly impacts connectivity tasks like the implementation, reparation, and upkeep of public transport infrastructure, as well as the coordination of public transport services (timetables, rolling stock, intermodality, data standardisation, tariff harmonisation, integrated ticketing apps and other). Governance also manages legal and administrative issues that occur between institutions, especially on cross-border level due to differences in national laws. And the element, without which nothing happens, is the mode of financing – from what sources is public transport funded and how is it distributed.
These are just the most important aspects of public transport governance. The report contains some less successful examples as well, and it defines the “winning key ingredients” – all concise and graphically depicted – a perfect puzzle.
This interesting report also set the basis for consulting with our stakeholders, during February 2024.