Giancarlo Graziola

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 developments in Italy, where they have been overlapping for most time with the institution of Municipal firms. We rely heavily on a case study, on the ground that it could shed light on the rest of the sector. The paper concludes with some conclusions relevant for the present policy debate on local public transport in Italy.