Verbund Linie Graz – Verkehrsverbund Steiermark
Region: Province of Styria, Austria
Center: Graz (250.000 inhabitants)
Major cities: Leoben (25,000), Kapfenberg (21,000), Bruck (13,500), Knittelfeld (11,000), Leibnitz (7500)…
Area: 16,392 km2
Population: 1.21 million
Population density: 74 inhabitants per square km
Transport operators: 60 (with 4,500 employees)
Number of passengers: 109 million annually
Waiting spots: 7,500
Number of lines: 500
Traffic-tariff union of Styria in Austria is located very close to the Croatian and its system is among the best public transportation systems in Europe. The system clearly shows that the area with lots of small towns who gravitate to each other and the capital of the region, which is medium in size,can arrange transportation tariff union, and that it can bring great benefits to users, carriers and the entire region. High quality public transport in Styria significantly increased mobility of the population, and indirectly affected the very high GNP that the region enjoys. Styria also has the 3.8% percent growth of GDP which is the highest in Austria. Public transport has brought many benefits to tourism because it is heavily influenced by the mobility of tourists and increase in tourist consumption.
Traffic-tariff union Styria arose from the need to reduce the pollution, traffic congestion and to increase the mobility of the population and to preserve nature for rising numbers of tourists. With increased mobility of the population, the wished effect was that people from smaller places do not leave them, but to raise the quality of life.
Verbund Linie Graz was founded in 1994. and it was active in the wider area of Graz. In 1997. it starts to act in the entire province of Styria. The system manages the Transport Authority which prepares schedules, coordinates the various transport modes, collects money from ticket sales, doing marketing of public transport and its development. Traffic Planning and development of the system is based on a large number of practical research in the field, which have ongoing momentum.
The whole Austria is divided into 8 areas of transport, and each is managed by individual Transport Authority. Traffic-tariff unions are legal requirement in Austria since 2000.