The EU Green Paper COM/95/601 emphasises the importance of integrating different public transport subsystems. This integrative move involves upgrading several administrative issues, such as integrated ticketing, information and fare systems. Likewise, the THERMIE paper T114 mentions three types of functional integration for Public Transport modes, namely, administrative, fare and physical integration. This former one refers to intermodal centres, and it is usually managed by the PTAs. The aim of this paper is to analyse and compare the ways in which different European cities have implemented those general guidelines by setting up the Public Transport Authorities system. In order to attain the above stated goal, this paper starts with the analysis of big and medium size cities all over Europe. It then proceeds firstly to study the legal framework and structure of the PTA in force in each case, and secondly it looks into similarities and differences to be observed among the different management bodies, official proceedings, etc, as the case may be. Finally, transport ticketing and travelcards, public subsidies, and modes co-ordinated by each different PTA are considered. The Transport Authorities analysed in this study are Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, London, Manchester, Paris, Frankfurt, Stockholm, Milan, Rome and Brussels. However this paper focuses mainly on those issues common to all case-studies, such as fares, mobility patterns and funding.
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