New publication:

The Passenger’s Perspective in Planning and Customer Care

Edited by Martin Schiefelbusch and Hans-Liudger Dienel, both at the nexus Institute for Cooperation Management and Interdisciplinary Research, Germany.

This book is now also available in German:

Schiefelbusch Martin/Hans-Liudger Dienel (eds.): Kundeninteressen im öffentlichen Verkehr - Verbraucherschutz und Verbraucherbeteiligung. Erich-Schmidt-Verlag, Berlin 2008, Reihe "Verkehr und Technik", vol. 96, ISBN 978-3-503-11009-4, price 49,80 EUR. Online via www.esv.info.

Public transport is essential to the quality of life of its passengers, both as a means to move around and also to achieve a sustainable environment. However, the passenger’s position as a customer is weakened by the dominance of monopolies, regulation and political influence in our public transport systems.

This book is one of the first to examine strategies for the representation of user interests in public transport from a variety of perspectives. The authors review approaches to integrating the passengers’ views in the planning process and to protecting their interests in operations and customer care across a range of European countries, including Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. The book presents the conclusions of this research and good practice, and will provide useful guidance for policy makers, stakeholder organizations and planners, and transport researchers.

details:
Ashgate, Transport and Society
April 2009, 330 pages
Hardback 978-0-7546-7447-4 £65.00
http://www.ashgate.com/transportandusers