This article discusses the underlying dynamics behind the present debate over net-neutrality, analyzes the pro's and con's, concludes that the debate is based on false premises, and proposes a better solution - End-user Sovereignty - that is both open and only lightly regulated.

This paper studies the effects on local public transport of the reform begun in the late nineties, using data from a recent Bank of Italy survey. There are still substantial differences across Italy’s regions, and the level of efficiency is far from the original aims of the reform. Although...

The paper analyses the issue of vertical equity relative to Local Public Transportation service with particular attention to resources and/or sacrifices allocation among different users groups. The evaluation of vertical equity can be inferred comparing indicators of need and accessibility...

This paper analyses the relationship between the service contract (and tender) design and the outcome of the tender in the local public tran sport. Data are collected through a survey involving about 50 territorial entities. It emerges that optimal contract (and tender) design crucially depends...

I processi di liberalizzazione che hanno trasformato nel corso degli ultimi trent'anni mercati tradizionalmente caratterizzati dall'esistenza di monopoli (talvolta naturali) non sempre hanno generato gli attesi guadagni di efficienza. Il dibattito, anche quello più informato, si è spesso...

The paper dwells on the current stance of the Local Public Transport in Italy ahead of a new drive aimed at opening the market for commuter and urban travelers. It looks at the bumpy and slow progress of the institutional framework while touching upon the main regulatory models to be found in...

This paper investigates how geography affects the performance of local public transport firms in Italy. Using data on 110 firms involved in urban and interurban transport, we provide different estimates of stochastic cost frontiers. It emerges that geographic variables impact on the efficiency...

The present phase of liberalization of local public transport in European countries and in Italy marks the end of a cycle which began at the turn between XIX and XX centuries. After a summary of its developments in European countries and in the United States, we look carefully at its...

The Europeanisation of public services is frequently considered to have created pressure for Member States to progressively converge towards a new dominant organisational model, based on deregulation, de-integration and privatization. However, while in some sectors (eg. electricity,...

This paper refers to the concept of public governance in the light of Transaction Cost Economics (TCE). While TCE is well developed and widely applied in the private sector, only a few studies have adopted such framework to investigate the provision of public services. We aim at pointing out the...