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Partnerships between operators and public transport authorities. Working practices in relational contracting and collaborative partnerships

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  • Hrelja, Robert
  • Rye, Tom
  • Mullen, Caroline

Abstract

Recent research on public transport has seen increasing focus on issues like coordination, collaboration and steering in complex governance settings. One of the themes in this field of research is related to partnership approaches, as one way of stimulating functioning collaboration between formally independent private and public organisations. The aim of this paper is to explore the role and function of partnerships as a way of supporting well-functioning public transport networks and services in fragmented institutional settings. The empirical focus is on partnerships between operators and public (transport) authorities in two different legal settings: England and Sweden. The analysis is based on interviews with operators and public transport authorities in two metropolitan regions in each country where innovative partnership working has been developed to deal with various types of barriers to delivering better public transport. The results show the key qualities of these partnerships that are required for them to function. Although the regulatory contexts are very different, the partnership qualities are very similar in both cases.

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  • Hrelja, Robert & Rye, Tom & Mullen, Caroline, 2018. "Partnerships between operators and public transport authorities. Working practices in relational contracting and collaborative partnerships," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 116(C), pages 327-338.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:116:y:2018:i:c:p:327-338
    DOI: 10.1016/j.tra.2018.06.032
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    2. Pyddoke, Roger & Thoresson, Karin, 2023. "Has collaboration contributed to goal achievement in Swedish public transport?," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    3. Bushell, James & Merkert, Rico & Beck, Matthew J., 2022. "Consumer preferences for operator collaboration in intra- and intercity transport ecosystems: Institutionalising platforms to facilitate MaaS 2.0," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 160(C), pages 160-178.
    4. Rye, Tom & Hrelja, Robert & Monios, Jason & McTigue, Clare, 2021. "Partnership or franchising to improve bus services in two major English urban regions? An institutional analysis," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 114(C), pages 59-67.
    5. Ilaria Delponte, 2021. "Institutional and Non-Institutional Governance Initiatives in Urban Transport Planning: The Paradigmatic Case of the Post-Collapse of the Morandi Bridge in Genoa," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-18, May.
    6. Nocera, Silvio & Fabio, Alberto & Cavallaro, Federico, 2020. "The adoption of grid transit networks in non-metropolitan contexts," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 256-272.

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