The public transport authority, bus operators and other actors: Different perspectives on the competitive tendering process in Israel

Research on bus service reforms have shown that in most countries, the initial savings they create in operating costs diminish over time. Another insight is that high-quality services require cooperation and mutual trust among the actors involved, and consideration of all the different, and sometimes opposing, needs and positions. The present research examined the mutual trust and cooperation between the actors involved in the provision of bus services in Israel. The different positions of these actors regarding key issues in the process represent points of weakness in the arrangement and possible ways to correct them. The resulting insights may be relevant to transportation authorities in other countries that face similar problems and could contribute to improved service.