04/03/09
Project BUSREP
New book published on user participation in public transport
Public transport is essential to the quality of life of its passengers, both as a means to move around but also to achieve a sustainable environment. However, the passenger's position as a customer is weakened by the dominance of monopolies, regulation and political influence in our public transport systems.
The book “Public Transport and its Users” is one of the first to examine strategies for the representation of user interests in public transport from a variety of perspectives. The authors review approaches to integrating the passengers' views in the planning process and to protecting their interests in operations and customer care across a range of European countries.
It includes the countries Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and EU policies. The book presents the conclusions of this research and examples of good practice. In this respect it will provide useful guidance for policy makers, stakeholder organizations and planners, as well as transport researchers.
The book presents results of the research project “BUSREP”, funded by the Volvo Foundation (Gothenburg, Sweden). BUSREP is the acronym for “Better User Representation in Public Transport”. The German edition of this book is in progress by Erich Schmidt Verlag, Berlin (Germany) and will be published soon.
Schiefelbusch, Martin; Dienel, Hans-Liudger (ed.): Public Transport and its Users. The Passenger’s Perspective in Planning and Customer Care. Ashgate, Farnham, Surrey, 2009.