The role of knowledge in public transport administration

This report presents a study into how the Norwegian public sector has organised the administration and planning of public transport services on the road network. The research is focused on what resources have been available and the different characteristics of these resources, such as type of education and degree level for the employees involved, their cooperation with other units or agencies, and the way in which they rely on external expertise. This study has been based on interviews with key persons involved in public transport issues in all regional/county authorities and in the Norwegian Public Roads Administration. The main finding is that the administrative organisation at regional/county level varies substantially. Furthermore, the impression is that the main challenge is the capacity to plan and cater for public transport, and not so much the competence and knowledge about how to perform the tasks.