Evaluating public transport policy:
A stakeholder approach in a Maltese context
WCTRS SIG3 Urban Transport Planning and Policy
Climate Change Targets and Urban Transport Policy
13-14 April 2015
Ms Thérèse Bajada
Dr Helena Titheridge
Centre for Transport Studies
Civil Environmental & Geomatic Engineering
Overview
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Aim & Objectives
The case study: Malta
Research Methods
Findings
Implications
Suggestions for planning &
policy-making
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Source: Online
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2011
Aims
• Evaluate existing public transport policy in Malta
• Identify the effectiveness of the policy
implementation
• Present the findings identified from in-depth
interviews
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The Case Study: Malta (1)
Source: Online
• Malta – small, dense archipelago
• Modal split – 75% car users, 11%
bus users (TM, 2010)
• Decrease in bus patronage
• Associated problems:
– Use of other more convenient modes
– More pollution
– More congestion
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Source: Online
The Case Study: Malta (2)
• Bus service - 30 year monopoly
• Policy document & competitive tendering
• Aim: modal shift from car use to bus use
• Reform implementation – 3rd July 2011
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2011
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The Reform
• Seven objectives:
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2011
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2011
i. Improve network planning
ii. Change the bus fleet to comply with EU
emission standards
iii. Remove exclusivity of rights to operate
iv. Apply a roster system following EU
regulations
v. Provide an efficient government subsidy
vi. Provide information to customers
vii. Increase and enforce regulation
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Reform Service Delivery
• People’s expectations were high
before the reform
• Resulting pressing concerns
unreliability & punctuality issues
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After Arriva Malta
• Temporary nationalisation
• The company changed its name to
‘Malta Public Transport’
• New private operator Autobuses
Urbanos de León (ALESA)
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Research Methods &
Method of Analysis
• Four policy documents analysed
using an institutional framework
approach
• Eleven in-depth interviews with
transport professionals, involved in
the reform/nationalisation process
• Thematic analysis using Atlas.ti
version 6.2
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Findings – Policy Documents
Source: Available online, 2013
• Structure Plan: provides overview of
necessary policies, but lacks
objectives
• SPED: does not provide new policy
or objective
• White Paper: seven objectives to be
achieved with the ‘big bang
approach’
 Public transport improvements
hampered by limited or non-existent
objectives
 Changes in organisational structure
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Findings – In-depth interviews
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2015
Change
Foreign influence
Service quality characteristics
Service delivery
Political role
Institutional framework
Incentives for bus use
Modal shift
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Findings – In-depth Interviews
1) Change
“huge step
change”
“we couldn’t
continue with
the system as it
was previously”
“there was no
transitory
period for
people to get
used to the
new system”
“policy
earthquake”
“an infrastructure
that wasn’t even
good for earlier
times, let alone
today”
“the reform
took place
abruptly”
 People’s attitudes towards increased car use grew stronger
 The negative outcome of the change lowered the expectations
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Findings – In-depth Interviews
2) Foreign influence
“the share of public
transport in Malta
would reach ratios
that are comparable
with cities of similar
size in Europe”
“…having travelled
extensively and seen
how they operate in
other countries…it’s a
country-wide issue,
discipline, so, road
discipline, customer
discipline…”
 Changes at a national level (unlike foreign case studies)
 Comparisons do not take the scale into consideration
 EU membership – depend on EU funding
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Findings – In-depth Interviews
3) Service quality characteristics
“…the saving-grace
of the change were
the quality of the
buses and the
courtesy, and
presentation of the
drivers”
“Arriva’s main flaws have
always been in the reliability
and punctuality, for the other
satisfaction characteristics
or customer satisfaction
factors all the factors have
improved dramatically”
 The reform did achieve some changes e.g. bus drivers’ working
hours and an accessible fleet
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Findings – In-depth Interviews
4) Service delivery
“we couldn’t reach a
conclusion to our
discussions, I don’t
know why. It seems
as if they wanted to
put us in a bad light,
to make us appear
bad”
“when they put up
the expectations
of the people,
they were
reflecting what
was in the
contract”
“(Arriva) squandered
on the public good
will that built-up prior
to the reform, and
did worse…they
seemed to actively
pursue people’s
frustrations”
 Reference was made to the bus service delivery in discussions of
each operator (PTA, Arriva, Government and ALESA)
 People’s trust regarding the bus service was lost following the
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bus service reform
Findings – In-depth Interviews
5) Political role
 A political champion is essential
 Ambition may work against
the political will
“…in some respects
the planning from
the Government’s
side was overambitious”
6) Institutional framework
 Regulators and operators play a major role in influencing the type
of bus service that is delivered (Finn 2003)
 A regulating body has more say when it monitors a separate
entity rather than monitoring its own organisation.
 It’s important to keep stakeholders, such as unions informed
“unless the SPED starts applying
the Structure Plan policies that
include linking transport to built
land use, it’s useless”
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Findings – In-depth Interviews
7) Incentives for bus use
“the reform was
the natural thing
to create, so that
there would be a
cushion to fall on”
“…justify greater
infrastructural
investment in
public transport
priority”
“extending
CVA for
example”
 Everyone needs to play a role to incentivise bus use
 It is not just limited to policy-makers and organisations
 Bus users need to learn how to use the service, how to search for
information and how to reduce journey length by using the
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correct routes
Findings – In-depth Interviews
8) Modal shift
“we have developed an
attitude around the
car…which has become
embedded in the routine,
lifestyle and work style ”
“today’s children
will remain cardependent for
all their lives”
“avoid
chauffeuring
children to
school”
 Generally the interviewees felt that not much could be done to
change attitudes towards public transport
 Improving the bus service would have little effect on attitudes
 Bus reform and service quality improvements need to be
supported by a wider range of policies
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Implications
• Managing information dissemination
and information is important
• The time between policy-making and
implementation should be short
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2015
• Policies should be followed by
reachable objectives
• Public transport policy should be
integrated with traffic management
Photo credit: T.Bajada, 2015
measures.
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Suggestions for planning & policy-making
• Control expectations before
implementing changes
• Instil trust in all stakeholders of the
service being provided
• Test, monitor and discuss prototype
projects before launching larger
projects
• Continuously, inform and guide all
stakeholders
• Support the change with
complimentary interventions in other
areas
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Thank you!
therese.bajada.10@ucl.ac.uk
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