THE PERFORMANCE OF BUS-TRANSIT OPERATORS. IN: HANDBOOK OF TRANSPORT MODELLING

The transit industry is a fairly heterogeneous mixture of companies with different ownership status that provide passenger services in a highly regulated environment, and making use of a diversity of vehicles (bus, tramway, metro, light rail, etc.). In almost all countries, urban and interurban bus transit is an important component of the industry. The purpose of this paper is to review what is known about the economic performance of bus-transit operators. Although other criteria for evaluating the performance may be suggested (effectiveness, financial indicators, etc.), the main focus is on the issue of productivity and efficiency. Based on the recent literature, the main trends in productivity growth and efficiency in the industry are summarized. More importantly, the most relevant technological, environmental, and regulatory determinants of productivity growth and of differences in efficiency levels between operators are also reviewed.