Skip to main content

How PPPs can improve funding of transport infrastructure

The “Better Regulation of Public-Private Partnerships for Transport Infrastructure” report just released by the International Transport Forum at the OECD looks at public-private partnerships (PPPs), which have become an important tool for governments to attract private finance for infrastructure investments. In the face of tight budgets, PPPs are seen as a means to maintain transport investment and limit public spending at the same time.
October 15, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
The “Better Regulation of Public-Private Partnerships for Transport Infrastructure” report just released by the 998 International Transport Forum at the 7353 OECD looks at public-private partnerships (PPPs), which have become an important tool for governments to attract private finance for infrastructure investments. In the face of tight budgets, PPPs are seen as a means to maintain transport investment and limit public spending at the same time.

Experience with PPPs has been mixed, however. Some transport PPP projects have delivered major cost savings, many others have exceeded their budgets. PPPs are prone to overestimating revenues from the investment, and the associated risks often fall on the taxpayer when projects run into financial difficulty.

The report examines the nature of risks and uncertainties associated with different PPP types and looks at the practical consequences of transferring risks to private partners.  It assesses the fiscal impact of PPPs and discusses budget procedures and accounting rules and reviews the relative merits of tolls, availability payments and regulated asset base models.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Q-Free sees logic in video tolling
    September 15, 2014
    Q-Free’s Frank Kjelsli talks to Colin Sowman about why video tolling could be the boost to efficiency and interoperability the industry is seeking. Like it or not, the principal of one person, one tolling account is likely to become a reality: be that in America with the 2016 interoperability deadline or the European EETS requirement. Multi-tag readers are being introduced and alliances are being formed to meet legislative requirements but as the debate continues about which systems and protocols to adopt,
  • Global toll revenues $8.5bn while technology ‘battles’ continue
    April 9, 2014
    ABI Research’s Dominique Bonte talks to Jason Barnes about trends in tolling and how a wider appreciation of technology options is sorely needed. Global Electronic Toll Collection (ETC) solution revenues will grow to $8.5bn by 2018, with ETC becoming a main source of funding for both Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) and Vehicle-to-X (V2X) cooperative infrastructures, according to a new report from ABI Research (Chart 1). But, says the report’s author, ABI Research vice president and practice director Dom
  • Lowering the barriers to combined control rooms
    March 29, 2017
    Integrating control rooms can improve traffic management, security and emergency response without excessive cost or compromising privacy. In the wake of the recent terrorist events in France and Germany where the transport system was exploited with deadly consequences, many governments and agencies are reviewing the security arrangements – particularly around popular and high profile events.
  • Lowering the barriers to combined control rooms
    March 29, 2017
    Integrating control rooms can improve traffic management, security and emergency response without excessive cost or compromising privacy. In the wake of the recent terrorist events in France and Germany where the transport system was exploited with deadly consequences, many governments and agencies are reviewing the security arrangements – particularly around popular and high profile events.