Towards Innovation in Public Transport Tendering in the Netherlands

The public transport reform discussion initiated in 1992 in the Netherlands ended in 2000 with the enactment of a new passenger transport law. According to this new law, about a third of public transport services will have to be tendered by regional authorities in the coming years. In the meantime, a few regional railway lines have been contracted or tendered and preparations are made to tender for the operations of a number of regional and urban bus networks across the country. It is scheduled that after this first period, Parliament will review the effects and decide whether the new legislation will be extended to all public transport services.