Population growth in large cities put great demands on public transport capacity and competitiveness. There is a need for major investments in public transport systems - both investment and operation - which requires financial resources that are beyond what the counties and municipalities can manage to raise within current budgetary constraints. Ambitious goals and limited budgets also increases the need for knowledge about how various measures affect the demand for public transport, public transport's competitiveness against the car, and the passengers' preferences.

TØI provides research and studies related to how properties of the public transport provided affects its competitiveness. We also study demand across transport modes, like how the improvement of public transport can influence the choice of car.

Key research areas include market analyses, demand effects, cost-benefit analysis, the effects of policies and measures, the importance of policy packages, intermodality, universal design, as well as door-to-door journeys.

The market for public transport operation is studied by providing knowledge statuses of tenders’ deployment in public transport, and analyses on how competition affects costs, quality, market adjustments, etc.

TØI also provides critical analyses of the various functions of public transport, and the motivations for different kinds of initiatives in different parts of the country. We have a central role in statistical and methodological development within public transport.