ABSTRACT
The future of urban public transport in Europe is a high agenda item, especially in view of the debate on efficient transport markets. This chapter aims to the examination of the efficiency of the urban public transport in Athens, as well as of broad factors driving its performance. Two determining factors are investigated: firstly, the wider organisational arrangement of the urban public transport, and secondly, a performance management system producing strategic information on the efficiency with which input resources are transformed in transport services. The chapter presents comparative reviews of regulatory forms of urban public transport in Europe with case studies demonstration, and closed market variants of PT in Athens, Thessaloniki, and the rest of the country. It proposes European Union Regulation, there is a need for an independent regulatory authority of UPT in Athens. Information technology in public transport operations can provide monitoring tools related to the service provision and also support strategic decision-making processes.
