Institutions, regulations and sustainable transport, a review

Abstract

This policy research document examines institutional and regulatory aspects of sustainable transport from a cross- national perspective. While institutions appear to play an important role in the economic success of many countries, it is not so clear that they also support sustainable development. In fact, institutions are probably both supporting and constraining depending on the situation and it remains unclear what the net balance is. A number of examples of the role of institutions in transport are discussed. A research agenda is formulated with special attention to among others success and failure factors for regulatory reform, private versus public roles in transport, border effects and issues of fiscal competition.