Sustainable public transport through more flexibility and better coordination

Important results from the project

The objective for the project was based on the hypothesis that both environmental emissions and costs can be reduced if parties cooperate and use policy document when procuring bus transports. One such policy document is Bus Nordic, which was reviewed to find out the frequency of use and the number of additions and exceptions. Research on the effects of age requirements on buses has also been carried out. The results showed that age requirements can lead to both increased costs and negative environmental impact. Research has also been done on the degree of flexibility in contracts.

Expected long term effects

Effects of increased flexibility for bus operators and coordination of procurement of bus transport have been investigated. Content analyzes of procurement documents have been carried out to show which areas are most detailed. Degree of flexibility in general and environmental aspects specifically have been analyzed. The results of the research show that special requirements such as age requirements for buses lead to increased costs and a worse environment as buses are at risk of premature scrapping. The results have led to additional research applications.

Approach and implementation

Procurement documents for bus transport have been mapped to investigate how differentiated the requirements are and their level of detail. Both flexibility of requirements in general and environmental requirements explicitly have been studied in procurements. Interviews were conducted as a supplement to content analysis of documents. Quantitative studies such as survey studies and investment calculations have been carried out with aim of showing how costs and the environment are affected by detailed requirements, such as age requirements on buses, in public procurements.