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Delivering trusting partnerships for route bus services: A Melbourne case study

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  • Stanley, John
  • Hensher, David A.

Abstract

The Thredbo Conference series has developed the idea of negotiated performance-based contracts as effective public transport service delivery mechanisms, with trusting partnerships between authority and operators providing an environment likely to maximise the performance of this delivery mode. However, there is a distinct lack of relevant case study material on trusting partnerships in public transport to affirm this proposition. This paper seeks to redress the balance. It outlines the system development directions that are being implemented for bus services in Melbourne, Australia, and the way that a broad-based constituency has been built to support those directions. It then illustrates the extension of the tactical trusting partnership approach between purchaser and provider to the level of the individual operator contract, showing how this should create a flexible yet disciplined environment to manage and cope with change and growth. The broad nature of the new contracts is summarised and, building on the findings from Thredbo 9, processes that are being implemented to manage the on-going relationship between purchaser and providers are outlined. Finally, the paper argues for extending KPIs beyond the operator to encompass the authority/regulator and the partnership of authority/operator, to extend performance pressures beyond the operator and recognise the interdependence of partners in a true partnership.

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  • Stanley, John & Hensher, David A., 2008. "Delivering trusting partnerships for route bus services: A Melbourne case study," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(10), pages 1295-1301, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:eee:transa:v:42:y:2008:i:10:p:1295-1301
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Anne Yvrande-Billon, 2006. "The attribution process of delegation contracts in the french urban public transport sector : why competitive tendering is a myth," Université Paris1 Panthéon-Sorbonne (Post-Print and Working Papers) halshs-00273378, HAL.
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    1. Hensher, David A. & Stanley, John, 2008. "Transacting under a performance-based contract: The role of negotiation and competitive tendering," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 42(9), pages 1143-1151, November.
    2. Epstein, Bryan & Givoni, Moshe, 2016. "Analyzing the gap between the QOS demanded by PT users and QOS supplied by service operators," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 94(C), pages 622-637.
    3. Paulsson, Alexander & Isaksson, Karolina & Sørensen, Claus Hedegaard & Hrelja, Robert & Rye, Tom & Scholten, Christina, 2018. "Collaboration in public transport planning – Why, how and what?," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 377-385.
    4. Preston, John, 2023. "All things must pass? Recent changes to competition and ownership in public transport in Great Britain," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 99(C).
    5. Stanley, John & van de Velde, Didier, 2008. "Risk and reward in public transport contracting," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 22(1), pages 20-25, January.
    6. Dementiev, Andrei & Loboyko, Anfisa, 2014. "Trusting partnerships in a regulatory game: The case of suburban railway transport in Russia," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 209-220.
    7. Sørensen, Claus Hedegaard & Longva, Frode, 2011. "Increased coordination in public transport--which mechanisms are available?," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 18(1), pages 117-125, January.
    8. Sheng, Dian & Meng, Qiang, 2020. "Public bus service contracting: A critical review and future research opportunities," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    9. Vigren, Andreas & Pyddoke, Roger, 2020. "The impact on bus ridership of passenger incentive contracts in public transport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 144-159.
    10. Hirschhorn, Fabio & Veeneman, Wijnand & van de Velde, Didier, 2018. "Inventory and rating of performance indicators and organisational features in metropolitan public transport: A worldwide Delphi survey," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 144-156.
    11. Dementiev, Andrei, 2016. "Strategic partnerships in local public transport," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 59(C), pages 65-74.
    12. 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.
    13. Stanley, John K., 2010. "Goal achievement with trusting partnerships at the tactical level," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 99-105.
    14. Fabianski, Caroline, 2018. "Partnering for quality and performance: A standpoint for enhanced services," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 135-143.
    15. Wong, Dan & Baker, Douglas, 2014. "Improving US airport taxicab services through governance arrangements," Journal of Air Transport Management, Elsevier, vol. 40(C), pages 126-131.
    16. Sørensen, Claus Hedegaard, 2018. "A typology of inter-organisational coordination in public transport: The case of timetable planning in Denmark," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 411-419.
    17. Nayan, Ashish & Wang, David Z.W., 2017. "Optimal bus transit route packaging in a privatized contracting regime," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 146-157.
    18. Lowe, Christopher & Stanley, Janet & Stanley, John, 2020. "Transport industry adapting to change: An Australian case study," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    19. Hensher, David A., 2021. "The case for negotiated contracts under the transition to a green bus fleet," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 154(C), pages 255-269.
    20. Veeneman, Wijnand, 2010. "Changing public transport governance in Dutch metropoles: To tender or not to tender," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 195-203.
    21. 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.

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