Abstract

The analysis of total factor productivity allows for the determination of the effect of exogenous factors - not related to the classic factors of production, i.e. capital and labour - that contribute to the formation of the output of a business. In the specific case of local public transport, this element is linked to the presence or absence of economies of scale and to the productivity of each factor used in the production process. The case under investigation concerns the largest public transport company in Italy, Atac, which operates in a geographical area with a number of peculiarities, given the territorial extension of the Municipality of Rome. It is however paying for past mistakes, which have led to choices that do not suit the public service model in question, thus generating inefficiencies. This work aims to provide, as far as possible, food for thought starting from which initiatives could be undertaken with a view to increasing the company's management efficiency and, consequently, to improving the service provided to final users.