Public–Private Partnership and the Development of Transport Infrastructure in Poland: The Analysis of Critical Success Factors

Abstract

Efficient transport is an important determinant of the integration of the EU countries. TEN-T has been created by the European Commission to ensure the mobility of citizens, as well as fast and safe trading. However, the European transport infrastructure is characterized by large variations on the level of development that occurs in the East and West of the EU. In Poland, the infrastructure is technically unadjusted to the current transport needs and preferences. Modernization and development of infrastructure requires large capital expenditures. At the same time the public finance sector is overloaded, and the budget deficit is common. European countries and governments around the world are more likely to engage the private sector to finance infrastructure. The usual form of involvement of private investors is the public–private partnership (PPP). However, not all projects are successful. Achieving tangible benefits of PPP requires the creation of appropriate conditions conducive to its implementation. The aim of this study is to identify and analyze critical success factors for PPP transport infrastructure projects in Poland. The research literature proves that there are many factors and they relate to various aspects and stages of the PPP implementation. The factors are classified in four groups: financial and economic, political and legal, technical, and social. The ones that have significant impact on transport infrastructure include: stable macroeconomic situation of the country, political support and commitment of the government, legal system, well-organized public consulting agencies, financial market availability, credible and experienced private investors. In Poland, the most important factors that are necessary for success in the implementation of PPP projects are: support of the government and governmental institutions, legal framework and regulations and the existence of adequate public advisory bodies. For the past 20 years, these conditions have not been fully met and formed a barrier to the development of the partnership. The consequence of the lack of public advisory body is limited knowledge on PPP in public administration as well as in banks, which in the case of the latter, limits the availability of the financial market for private partners.