This paper is about collaboration in public transport governance. Drawing upon the emerging literature that views collaboration through the lens of networks, we explore why and how regional public transport authorities collaborate with both municipalities and public transport operators in the planning of public transport. We also explore the advantages and disadvantages of such collaborations. Based on interviews with civil servants (government officers) in the Swedish metropolitan regions of Stockholm, Västra Götaland and Scania, we conclude that collaboration is, firstly, a way for the regional public transport authorities (RPTA) to engage with the local municipalities and develop joint agreements on public transport priorities. It is also a way to build a common identity with the public transport operators, who operate services under tendered contracts. Secondly, we find that collaboration takes place during official meetings, as well as in informal conversations and face-toface dialogues. Thirdly, the potential advantages and disadvantages of collaboration hinge on the ability of coordinating actors to put in place processes where the feasibility of plans can be established, and where a sense of common identity can be constructed.

Introduction

During the past decades, public transport in Europe has experienced comprehensive policy changes and organizational reforms (van de Velde, 2014). The overarching policy changes can be summarized under the rubrics of sustainability (Hrelja et al., 2013), austerity (Veeneman et al., 2015) and competition (van de Velde, 2008). Regarding sustainability, public transport is positioned as a key in the transition to a sustainable and attractive urban environment (Banister, 2008; Sørensen & Gudmundsson, 2010). A modal shift from car to public transport, cycling and walking is deemed necessary for lowering the levels of carbon emissions (Sims et al., 2014) and improving public health (Ming Wen & Rissel, 2008) and liveability of communities (Kenworthy, 2006, 2007). At the same time as these policy changes have emerged, comprehensive organizational reforms have also impacted on public transport (van de Velde, 2014). New forms of collaboration have emerged as a response to these reforms (Rye, Monios, Hrelja, & Isaksson, 2018), both between public organizations and between organizations in the private and the public sectors (cf. Lagreid & Rykkja, 2015). These new forms of collaboration can be seen as a response to a vision of sustainability that aims to facilitate a transition to a sustainable and attractive urban environment, for instance by closer integration of land-use and transport planning (Legacy, Curtis, & Sturup, 2012). However, it can also be seen as a consequence of austerity policy (resources from new partners are needed because of reductions in staff) and competition policies (to avoid policy fragmentation when different stakeholders primarily pursue their own interests). In previous literature, these types of collaborations have been explored with a conceptual focus on partnerships, often with the aim to understand under what conditions certain partnerships are “successful” whilst others are not (see e.g. Stanley & Hensher, 2008; Stanley, 2010; Dementiev, 2016; see also; Davison & Knowles, 2006). Moreover, there are works that consider collaboration as important for providing for more deliberative qualities in planning and policy making (Healey, 1997). Thus, the policy changes and organizational reforms are linked. In the field of public transport planning and governance, relatively little research has been devoted to collaboration in a competitive tendering setting, as compared to a setting where negotiated performancebased contracts are in place. Collaboration between public transport authorities and municipalities (responsible for land-use planning and housing development) has also received little attention. There are a few exceptions though, like Sørensen and Longva (2011), who discuss the steering mechanisms involved in public transport planning, Hrelja, Pettersson, and Westerdahl (2016) and Hrelja, Monios, Rye, & Scholten (2017) who discuss the qualities needed for a successful collaboration between land-use and public transport planning, and Sagiaris (2016) who has looked at strategic cooperation and citizen involvement.