In recent years, many Western European urban public transport systems have undergone major reorganisation, including London (1985), Madrid (1985), Manchester (1986), Zurich (1990), Antwerp (1991), Copenhagen (1991), Athens (1992,1993), Gothenburg (1993) and Hamburg (1996). Other cities are also about to implement reorganisationsin their public transports ystems. Despite this, and with the exception of the British case, relatively little attention has been paid in the literature to the determinants and effects of these changes. Nevertheless, economics has benefited from individual contributions from people involved in these reorganisations. The aim of this thesis is to address two main weaknessesin the existing literature on the organisationo f urban public transport. Firstly, there is a distinct shortage of studies integrating different experiences in terms of forms of organisation.a nd their important features. Hence, emphasisi n this thesis is placed on examining structural changes in urban public transport, using a broad typology of organisations, and to explore related changes in the conduct and performance of public transport systems. A second weakness of the literature is the lack of detailed evaluations of the link between forms of organisation and the performance of transport operators. The evaluation of this link is carried out making use of case studies of Metro de Madrid and London Underground. The key objective of this thesis is to explore the existence of a link between organisation of the urban public transport markets and the performance of transport operators. Ile empirical analysis supports the hypothesis that reorganisations induce changes in performance levels. Additionally, in the cases of Metro de Madrid and London Underground, efficiency and effectiveness values emerge as positively correlated which is contrary to evidence presented in previous work.

Le secteur du transport routier de marchandises a une position importante dans l’économie française. Au cœur des métiers du transport, l’exploitant planifie les tournées que le conducteur routier exécute. Ces deux métiers travaillent en interdépendance. Ces opérateurs peuvent être confrontés à une multitude de risques professionnels : physiques, psychosociaux... Les questions relatives à la prévention de leurs risques professionnels sont importantes à considérer. Ce doctorat propose d’aborder la question de la santé des exploitants et des conducteurs à partir de leur activité collective qui peut être ou non protectrice de leur santé. Pour ce faire, notre objectif est de comprendre les mécanismes à l’origine de l’activité collective des opérateurs dans des situations de faibles et fortes distances professionnelles et physiques. Les effets de l’activité collective sur la santé des opérateurs sont analysés à partir du soutien social. La méthode proposée repose sur une démarche ergonomique d’analyse de l’activité à partir d’observations sur le terrain et de protocoles verbaux. Nous proposons trois études de cas dans lesquelles varient les degrés des distances professionnelles et physiques. La première étude de cas a permis de caractériser l’activité collective, les processus de coordination nécessaires à cette activité, ainsi que le soutien social chez des exploitants confrontés à une forte distance professionnelle et ceci en forte et faible distance physique. La deuxième étude porte sur les mêmes concepts que précédemment mais cette fois, chez des exploitants présentant une faible distance professionnelle. Enfin, la troisième étude souligne les liens entre la coordination et le soutien social dans l’activité collective d’exploitants et de conducteurs, se réalisant exclusivement en situation de forte distance professionnelle et physique. Les résultats principaux montrent que les formes et degrés de distance affectent l’activité collective de façon différente : si des liens sont observés entre les actions collectives et la distance physique chez des opérateurs en forte distance professionnelle ; une absence de ces liens est relevée chez des opérateurs en faible distance professionnelle. Par ailleurs, le soutien social qui s’exprime majoritairement comme une ressource pour les opérateurs dans les trois études, se révèle comme une contrainte dans certaines de leurs situations de travail. / The transportation of goods is a key position in the French economy. The transport operator plans the rounds and the truck driver goes these rounds. There is a mutual interdependence in their work. These operators can be faced with several occupational risks: physical, psychosocial…Regarding their health prevention, questions are strategic. This doctoral thesis aims to consider the question of operator’s health with regard to their collective activity. The objective is to understand the origins of operator’s collective activity on professional and physical distance. The effects of collective activity on the health will be analysed from the social support. The proposed method consists on an ergonomic approach of activity with field observations and oral agreements. There are three studies case in which levels of professional and physical distances differ. The first study case characterized the collective activity, the coordination process and social support on operators faced with strong professional distance and small and strong physical distance. The second study case is on the same approach than the first but this time operators are faced with small professional distance. Lastly, the third study case emphasizes the connections between coordination and social support on operator’s collective activity with strong professional and physical distance. The main results indicate that all forms and levels of distance affect collective activity differently. Indeed, we can note that there is a link between collective actions and physical distance on operators with a strong professional distance. However, these links on operators with a small professional distance are absent. Otherwise, social support represents mostly a resource for the operators in these three studies. Nevertheless, it appears to be a constraint on particular work situation.

Thesis (MScEng)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In an attempt to improve the efficiency of the transport system, the national government has instituted a new tender system for public transport contracts. Small bus and taxi operators are unfamiliar with operating in the formal sector. This study focuses on the extent of their disadvantage in the current tender system and recommends measures to counterbalance this. A questionnaire was devised to determine how much assistance these operators would require to prepare them for the tender, using the model bus tender document as a basis for this. The response rate was 20% with 14 taxi and 17 bus questionnaires being retrieved for analysis. The results showed that 10% of operators had no know ledge of the tender and many needed training in basic accounting and business procedures as well as public transport operation skills. Recommendations included institutional changes in public transport funding, management and allocation of resources as well as the type of education and training required. These changes should be implemented soon enough to ensure that small, medium and micro enterprises (SMME) operators are well prepared for the new tender system. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In 'n poging om die effektiwiteit van die vervoersisteem te verbeter, het die nasionale regering 'n tendersisteem vir openbare vervoerkontrakte ingestel. Klein bus en taxioperateurs is nie bekend met die bedryf van 'n besigheid in die formele sektor nie. Hierdie studie konsentreer op hul agterstand in die huidige tendersisteem en maak aanbevelings oor hoe dit oorkom kan word. 'n Vraelys is opgestel om te bepaal hoeveel bystand hierdie operateurs sal benodig om hu1le voor te berei vir die tender. Die model bus tenderdokument is as basis gebruik. 20% van die operateurs het op die vraelys gereageer - 14 taxi- en 17 busvraelyste is ontvang vir verder verwerking. Die resultate van die opname het getoon dat 10% van die operateurs geen kennis van die tender gehad het nie en dat baie van hulle opleiding benodig in basiese rekeninkundige en besigheidsprosedures sowel as openbare vervoer bedryfsmetodes. Aanbevelings van die studie sluit lil institusionele veranderinge lil openbare vervoerbefondsing, bestuur en die toewysing van hulpbronne asook die tipe onderrig en opleiding wat benodig word. Hierdie veranderinge behoort so gou as moontlik geïmplementeer te word sodat klein, medium en mikro operateurs goed voorberei kan word vir die nuwe tendersisteem.

The subject of the thesis is the analysis of the intermodal connection between Czech Republic and the seaports. The importance of this connection for the Czech Republic as for an open economy with a large volume of international trade is undervalued. The connection between Czech Republic and the ports is mainly provided by the container combined transport road -- rail. It is necessary to pay attention to the development of this field as it has a potential to be the most effective way of transport considering both economical and environmental criteria. The aim of the thesis is to survey the issue of intermodal connection with the ports, to evaluate the current status and future development options, including the barriers to this development. The result of the thesis is an analyzed current situation: the ports to which Czech Republic is connected have been determined as well as the modes of transport and the key players on the Czech market that provide the shipping services to the ports. A significant part of attention is paid to METRANS, a.s. which is the leading provider of intermodal transport services between Czech republic and the ports. A major problem associated with the development of combined transport is the harmonization of the conditions between road and rail transport. There is one chapter of the thesis which is devoted to this issue. Thanks to the information obtained from companies operating in the intermodal transport business, it was possible to calculate the costs related to the transport of the consignment by road and rail route, to highlight the problems in the daily operation of combined transport, to identify the weaknesses that may hinder the development of the METRANS or to bring other real outcomes.

Under litteraturstudierna fick författarna en uppfattning om att järnvägsbranschen är präglad av en hel del problematik som visat sig i ett flertal brister. Flera större omorganiseringar hade skapat en bransch med otydliga ansvarsgränser och otydliga roller med en mängd utdragna rättsliga tvister mellan beställare och entreprenörer som följd. Stämningen beskrevs som dyster och kompromisser mellan järnvägsaktörer förekom inte i den mån som behövdes, utan aktörerna tänkte mest på sin egen verksamhet. En ändring behövdes. Rapporten är begränsad till tre nyckelaktörer med koppling till järnvägsunderhåll: beställare, entreprenör och trafikutövare. Fokus har lagts på det alltför förekommande avhjälpande underhållet, som visar sig i form av trafikstörningar och trafikstopp. I samma veva uppstod en insikt om att behovet att föra in förebyggande underhåll i större omfattning var stort. Med tanke på de kunskaper författarna införskaffat sig under sin utbildning gällande förebyggande underhåll, var det lite av en chock att upptäcka hur underhållet på järnvägen sköts tidigare. Järnvägsaktörer med olika verksamheter på järnvägen, är formellt oberoende av varandra för att uppnå en fungerande järnväg och därmed en utökad samverkan. Dialog och samverkan var två nyckelord som ofta förekom och en idé om att införa rutiner för en utökad samverkan i form av dialog, antogs kunna vara början till en lösning på problematiken.  När arbetet med rapporten fortlöpte, upptäckte författarna att järnvägsbranschen är en bransch under en pågående förnyelse. Ett förbättringsarbete pågår i form av renodlade roller på riksdagens beslut nu i år och Forum för Framkomlighet (FFF) är ett forum som arbetar för just en utökad samverkan. I forumet träffas beställare, entreprenörer och trafikutövare för att genom dialog uppnå en utökad samverkan, där det första mötet inträffade i april nu i år.  En hel del har hänt under rapportens gång och författarna har utvecklat en samverkansstrategi i bästa mån utefter befintliga förutsättningar för att strategin ska vara applicerbar. Strategin är uppdelad i tre faser för att införas successivt, där Fas 3 innebär en samverkan över ett helt distrikt. Det om något, är en total samverkan. / During the writers literature study they received a clearer perception of the problematics that is embossed in the Railway industry. Several larger reorganisations had created an industry with unclear responsibilities and unclear roles resulting in several protracted litigations between the client and the contractor. The mood was described as bleak and compromises between the operators did not occur by the necessary means, the operators mostly considered only their own activities in the industry. A change had to be done. This report is limited to three key operators with connections to the maintenance on the railway. These key operators are: the client, the contractor and the transport operator. The report focuses on the all too reoccurring corrective maintenance those results in traffic-disturbances and traffic-stops. In the same time an insight occurred that a large need for implementing a preventive maintenance on a larger scale existed. Considering the knowledge the writers had acquired during their education about preventive maintenance, it slightly shocked them to see how the railway maintenance was carried out on the railway. Different operators in different organisations on the railway are dependant of each other to accomplish a functional railway, thus an increased interaction between the operators is achievable. Dialogue and interaction were two keywords that often reoccurred and the idea to, by an increased dialogue, introduce routines for an extended interaction was considered being a first step to solving the issues that exists on the railway. During the writers work on this report, they discovered that the railway industry is an industry under renewal. A process for improvement is currently going on, in the form of purer roles which was carried on after a decision was made by the Parliament of Sweden. The Forum for Accessibility (FFF) is a forum, which had their first meeting in April this year, they are currently working on increasing the interaction on the railway. In this forum the client, contractors and transport operators form a dialogue to achieve this increased interaction between one and another. A lot has happened during the writers work on this report and they have developed an interaction-strategy in the best way possible to make this strategy applicable considering the current conditions on the railway today.