Transport and decentralisation

Over the past decades many OECD countries have become more decentralised. ECMT member transition countries follow this example or are strongly advised to do so. Are the expected economic benefits justified in the domain of transport policy? Has the experience of transport policy decentralisation been positive?

The Round Table shows that the answers to these questions depend on three crucial determinants:

- The answers vary according to the mode of transport. The different modes have varying scale and network economies, leading to differences in the costs of decentralisation.

- Whether decentralisation works for transport depends on the type of decentralisation. In particular, it depends on the transfer of responsibilities being combined with a transfer of financing obligations and taxing powers.

- The success of decentralisation depends on the transport users’ representation in the process of policy decision-making. Decentralisation offers the chance for greater accountability but with the risk of excessive influence being exerted by small interest groups at the local level.

Contents:
Decentralisation, Intergovernmental Competition/Emulation and Efficiency: Lessons from and for the Transport Sector - F. Vaillancourt and P. Wingender;
Taxing Financing and the Transfer of Responsibilities in the Transport Sector - R. Prud'homme;
Subsidiarity and Transport Policy Co-Ordination in the European Union - C. Sikow-Magny;
The Political Economy of Transport Decentralisation - Iwan Barankay.

• Primary Source

Joint Transport Research Centre: Round Tables on Transport Economics http://www.internationaltransportforum.org/jtrc/roundtables.html

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