National Systems of Transport Infrastructure Planning: The Case of Italy

This paper describes how infrastructure planning was an activity that was carried out by single modal agencies (railways, road administration, etc.) until 1983, when the first National Transport Plan was developed. The Transport Ministry set up a scientific committee, but also asked the major public and private companies that are dominant within each transport mode to present their own proposals, which the committee would evaluate and discuss the appropriate order. The underlying assumption was that, since the lobbying capacity of these “dominant” companies was substantial, it was better to have their goals made explicit, within a scientific and, in some respects, transparent and democratic framework. The public resources allocated for the plan were considerable and the experts and academics involved are quite prestigious. Nonetheless, the results were disappointing. First, the state railways refused to cooperate and the director in charge was strictly economic. Second the companies involved soon realized that the plan could take no real responsibility for the allocation of public funds. The paper provides the key issues that Italy took for infrastructure planning in the decades following 1983.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Media Type: Print
  • Features: Appendices; Bibliography; Maps; Tables;
  • Pagination: pp 83-119
  • Monograph Title: National Systems of Transport Infrastructure Planning

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01052002
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 9282123413
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jun 27 2007 7:26AM