UNE 13816 – Public Transport

The final objectives of UNE-EN 13816 can be summarised as follows:

• To increase the quality of the service.
• To determine the needs and expectations of users.
• To adapt the available resources.
• To provide added customer satisfaction.
• Establish a measurement scale between the different concessionary companies.

Key points of UNE EN 13816

• The product has a high “customer service” content.
• The human factor is the main element of the product.
• The product is the customer’s perception of the quality of the service.
• The satisfaction of the worker transmits satisfaction to the customer.
• The service is consumed at the moment it is produced.
• The service cannot be changed. Quality must be total.
• Service is not susceptible to storage.
• The service product can be customised more than an industrial product.
• Demand is seasonal and sometimes unpredictable.

More information on the objectives of UNE 13816.

PLATA Plan (Plan of Actions in the Public Bus Passenger Transport Sector), which depends on the Ministry of Public Works.

One of its priority objectives is to encourage certification among companies in the sector, where the UNE EN 13816 standard specific to passenger transport is particularly relevant, serving as a guarantee for contracting public authorities.

The Directorate General for Road Transport has proposed with this plan:

Establish the criteria that will mark the process of granting concessions for permanent regular services of general use when they expire, in accordance with current Spanish regulations, and taking into account possible modifications to them derived from the draft Community Regulation on public service contracts in passenger transport, assuming that it is approved, and depending on its final text.

Establish guidelines to mitigate the effects of the:

• Partial lack of coordination between the different Public Administrations.
• Partial lack of harmonisation in the criteria of the different Public Administrations responsible for road transport.
• Lack of information on data on regular passenger transport concessions.
• Uncertainty about the concession renewal process.

Objectives of the PLATA Plan

• Increase in the level of safety in the development of the activity.
• Increase in the level of quality in the provision of services.
• Modernisation of the sector, through the modernisation of the companies that make it up.
• Development of networks and joint marketing systems, seeking to increase commercial efficiency.
• Implementation of environmental improvements in the sector.
• Optimisation of the functioning and organisation of the market, including an increase in the efficiency of management and coordination of the Public Administrations.
• Strengthening of New Transport Systems and Intermodality.

More information on the PLATA Plan.