The purpose of this paper is to present an analysis of the link between decentralisation, intergovernmental competition/emulation and efficiency in the context of the transport sector. To meet this objective, we have divided our paper into three sections. The first section briefly presents various definitions of decentralisation, recalls the principles of Musgrave and Oates in that area and concludes with a discussion of the theoretical impacts of decentralisation on competitiveness and efficiency. The second part presents the salient points of the literature on decentralisation and transport with regard to four modes, namely road, rail, ports and airports, and ends with a discussion of fiscal decentralisation in relation to transport. The third section presents empirical findings regarding the general impact of decentralisation on various performance indicators in the transport sector.