The Styrian Public Transport Association
Since February 1994 the Styrian Public Transport Association has existed in the greater Graz area, since 1997 it has existed in the whole of Styria. Since then the public transport, operated by more than 60 Styrian companies, can be used with a single ticket for the common fare of the inter-connecting transport system.
The Styrian Public Transport Association represented in the public domain by the brand "Verbund Linie" brings together the public transport within the whole of Styria. Covering an area larger than 10,000 square kilometres the "Integrated Line" represents the second most extensive inter-connecting transport system in Austria today. More than 1.2 million inhabitants live in the area covered by the inter-connecting transport system. The fare zone model defines the price of the fare on the basis of the number of the zones passed through and the period of validity of the ticket. More than 500 lines are served by 62 transport companies (2008) using trains, trams and busses. 2,155 places with more than 7,500 stops can be reached. More than 4,500 members of staff are employed daily in order to provide for the necessary mobility.
Following the introduction of the common fare a systematic improvement of the services was initiated. Clear key focuses of work were set where third parties (in most cases communities) could be won for co-funding. In September 1997 the 1st Austrian mobility centre "Mobil Zentral" (managed by Austrian Mobility Research) was set up in Graz where all information regarding timetables and fares can be obtained from one place. Since the summer of 2003 the Internet timetable information for all lines in Styria is available (www.busbahnbim.at).
In 2007 68 million passengers were counted (not including school pupils or company fares). The relevance of the inter-connecting transport system for the urban traffic and the traffic travelling beyond the city borders is outstanding, in particular for the City of Graz: in 2007 86.2 percent of all journeys of the inter-connecting transport system were successfully carried out just in Graz (71.68%) or beyond the border of Graz (14.51%). The importance of the inter-connecting transport system for the local traffic is also clearly documented: in 2007 more than 80 percent of all journeys were carried out within a single fare zone, with 95 percent within four zones (about 40 km) and 99 percent of all journeys were conducted within seven zones (about 70 km).
Organisation
The organisation of the Styrian Public Transport Association is based on a three-level-model. The funding and decision level is represented by the administrative bodies, the Republic of Austria, Province of Styria and City of Graz on the basis of an underlying funding contract. The steering committee functions as the decision panel. The management level comprises of the operative domain covering the planning and implementation of measures in view of fares and services, the cooperation with the transport companies, the support and development of the hardware and the software responsible for the distribution of tickets, marketing and controlling. These tasks are fulfilled by the Steirische Verkehrsverbund GmbH – which is solely owned by the Province of Styria. The production level currently comprises of 64 transport companies (2007) which care for the supply of the concerted transport service on the basis of cooperation contracts.
Funding
For the loss of revenue due to the recognition of the common fare of the inter-connecting transport system as well as for the improvement of services, for marketing, planning and organisation expenditure of about 34.19 million Euros for the year 2008 was estimated. This will be covered by the Province of Styria (about 13.48 million Euros), the Republic of Austria (about 9.26 million Euros) and the City of Graz (about 4.88 million Euros) as well as by co-funding third parties.
Reform
Since 1st January 2000 the law for public local and regional transport for the first time provides a legal basis for the inter-connecting transport systems in Austria, aiming at a reform and a restructuring of the transport systems. The transport companies shall again bear more economic responsibility; the efficiency of the adopted means shall be raised by increasing competition. The Styrian Transport Association (StVG) as the designer of the Styrian inter-connecting transport system views the following points of reform:
This means for the StVG that it takes a key role in terms of coordination, appointing and the settlement of transport services, quality and performance control as well as in terms of client information. In this context the following points will represent the main tasks:
The Styrian Public Transport Association represented in the public domain by the brand "Verbund Linie" brings together the public transport within the whole of Styria. Covering an area larger than 10,000 square kilometres the "Integrated Line" represents the second most extensive inter-connecting transport system in Austria today. More than 1.2 million inhabitants live in the area covered by the inter-connecting transport system. The fare zone model defines the price of the fare on the basis of the number of the zones passed through and the period of validity of the ticket. More than 500 lines are served by 62 transport companies (2008) using trains, trams and busses. 2,155 places with more than 7,500 stops can be reached. More than 4,500 members of staff are employed daily in order to provide for the necessary mobility.
Following the introduction of the common fare a systematic improvement of the services was initiated. Clear key focuses of work were set where third parties (in most cases communities) could be won for co-funding. In September 1997 the 1st Austrian mobility centre "Mobil Zentral" (managed by Austrian Mobility Research) was set up in Graz where all information regarding timetables and fares can be obtained from one place. Since the summer of 2003 the Internet timetable information for all lines in Styria is available (www.busbahnbim.at).
In 2007 68 million passengers were counted (not including school pupils or company fares). The relevance of the inter-connecting transport system for the urban traffic and the traffic travelling beyond the city borders is outstanding, in particular for the City of Graz: in 2007 86.2 percent of all journeys of the inter-connecting transport system were successfully carried out just in Graz (71.68%) or beyond the border of Graz (14.51%). The importance of the inter-connecting transport system for the local traffic is also clearly documented: in 2007 more than 80 percent of all journeys were carried out within a single fare zone, with 95 percent within four zones (about 40 km) and 99 percent of all journeys were conducted within seven zones (about 70 km).
Organisation
The organisation of the Styrian Public Transport Association is based on a three-level-model. The funding and decision level is represented by the administrative bodies, the Republic of Austria, Province of Styria and City of Graz on the basis of an underlying funding contract. The steering committee functions as the decision panel. The management level comprises of the operative domain covering the planning and implementation of measures in view of fares and services, the cooperation with the transport companies, the support and development of the hardware and the software responsible for the distribution of tickets, marketing and controlling. These tasks are fulfilled by the Steirische Verkehrsverbund GmbH – which is solely owned by the Province of Styria. The production level currently comprises of 64 transport companies (2007) which care for the supply of the concerted transport service on the basis of cooperation contracts.
Funding
For the loss of revenue due to the recognition of the common fare of the inter-connecting transport system as well as for the improvement of services, for marketing, planning and organisation expenditure of about 34.19 million Euros for the year 2008 was estimated. This will be covered by the Province of Styria (about 13.48 million Euros), the Republic of Austria (about 9.26 million Euros) and the City of Graz (about 4.88 million Euros) as well as by co-funding third parties.
Reform
Since 1st January 2000 the law for public local and regional transport for the first time provides a legal basis for the inter-connecting transport systems in Austria, aiming at a reform and a restructuring of the transport systems. The transport companies shall again bear more economic responsibility; the efficiency of the adopted means shall be raised by increasing competition. The Styrian Transport Association (StVG) as the designer of the Styrian inter-connecting transport system views the following points of reform:
- new division of tasks between the transport companies and the StVG
- rearrangement of the system from the stable-value safeguard of previous revenue to the success-oriented definition of fares
- new division of tasks between the administrative bodies and the StVG
- an important step in reform – the integration of the free fare for pupils and apprentices in the inter-connecting transport system has already been realised
This means for the StVG that it takes a key role in terms of coordination, appointing and the settlement of transport services, quality and performance control as well as in terms of client information. In this context the following points will represent the main tasks:
- more competition in terms of service creation
- obligatory fixation of quality criteria and of their control
- introduction of a quality management system
- further improvement of client information
- support of the transport companies (among others regarding the division of revenues in relation to the free fare for pupils, fare design, etc.)