Improving Public Transport: Customer Focused Franchising is the second paper of Infrastructure Australia’s Reform Series. It focuses on improving customers’ experience by exposing operation of government-owned bus and rail services to a competitive tender process, and selecting the best operator to provide services.

Private operation of public transport through time limited, exclusive franchises is a proven model both in Australia and overseas in raising service quality and value for money for customers.

It should be the default option for public transport provision, with capital city bus and rail services as immediate candidates for franchising.