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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Pyddoke, Roger (VTI); Swärdh, Jan-Erik (VTI) |
| Abstract: | The objective of this paper is to analyse how the use of privately owned cars in Sweden varies across a number of background parameters including fuel price, disposable income, car purchase cost index, children over 18, employment and the car owners’ distance to work. These factors are analysed separately for men and women, individuals living in urban, rural and sparsely populated areas as well as disposable income quartiles. In particular the adaptation of car use of low income car owners in rural and sparsely populated areas to fuel cost and disposable income variations is analysed. Register data of the whole population in Sweden taken from the Swedish tax authorities for 1999-2008 as well as kilometre readings from the National Vehicle Inspection is used. This allows tracking individual changes in car use over ten years as well as to contrast car use in rural and sparsely populated areas to car use in urban areas. Car use is modelled with a dynamic panel data specification, permitting proper methods to deal with endogeneity problems. Small geographical differences in the sensitivity to variations in disposable income are found. For fuel cost on the other hand, there is a tendency towards higher price sensitivity in rural areas especially in the two lowest income quartiles. In sparsely populated areas, there is no higher sensitivity of fuel price compared to urban areas. The income elasticity of car use is fairly small and decreases with increasing disposable income. This latter finding is compatible with the hypothesis of car driving saturation in the rich countries around the world. The car travel elasticity with respect to fuel price is estimated to be between -0.2 and -0.4 in the short run. Here the pattern is as expected with decreasing fuel-price elasticity with increasing income. |
| Keywords: | Car use; Fuel-price elasticity; Register data; Dynamic panel data |
| JEL: | D12 R41 |
| Date: | 2015–01–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:ctswps:2015_001&r=tre |
| By: | Cubas, Diana; Briceno-Garmendia, Cecilia; Bofinger, Heinrich C. |
| Abstract: | Handling charges in Caribbean ports are two to three times higher than in similar ports in other regions of the world. In some cases, it costs significantly less to ship a container to Hong Kong SAR, China, or Europe than it does to ship to a neighboring island no more than 100 miles away. The reasons for high port-handling costs are linked to procedural inefficiencies along the logistics chain, high freight rates that shipping lines attribute to empty backhauls, and the poor performance of port management and operations. The Organization of Eastern Caribbean States shares the larger Caribbean region's advantages, challenges, and concerns related to the performance of port management and operations. Yet performance assessments have been difficult to make because of data constraints. This report seeks to provide such an assessment along four distinct policy dimensions: (i) traffic development, (ii) the institutional and regulatory framework, (iii) infrastructure development, and (iv) performance, including pricing and finance issues. The report concludes by benchmarking the efficiency of Organization of Eastern Caribbean States ports against other Latin American ports using a stochastic frontier approach, and providing a list of next steps for further research and policy prioritization. To make the current analysis possible, a rigorous exercise in the collection of primary data was conducted, using standardized templates adapted specifically to the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States context. The collection of data proved to be particularly difficult on financial and performance metrics, since many of the ports lack strong statistical systems and institutions. |
| Keywords: | Transport Economics Policy&Planning,Ports&Waterways,Transport and Trade Logistics,Common Carriers Industry,Transport Security |
| Date: | 2015–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:7162&r=tre |
| By: | Renner, Swetlana; Götz, Linde; Prehn, Sören; Glauben, Thomas |
| Abstract: | We investigate the determinants of Russian regional wheat flows focusing on the role played by transport costs and regional infrastructure. We adapt the Anderson & van Wincoop (2003) gravity model to regional trade by considering a regional border effect and by assuming that trade costs are also determined by infrastructure variables. Our model identifies positive effects of the number and the average loading capacity of grain rail terminals in the region. This analysis reveals substantial effects of infrastructure on interregional wheat trade in Russia. Especially, the quality of infrastructure seems to have a strong effect, suggesting that improvements of infrastructure should focus on the improvements of the quality rather than the quantity of infrastructure. |
| Keywords: | wheat trade, gravity model, infrastructure, Russia, International Relations/Trade, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182840&r=tre |
| By: | Cassidy, Michael J; Kim, Kwangho |
| Abstract: | Most special-use freeway lanes in the US, whether reserved for carpools, toll-paying commuters or both, are physically separated from the adjacent regular-use lanes by some form of barrier. Vehicle movements in and out of a special lane of this type are permitted only at select access points along the route. The barrier at each select point might open for a distance of 400 m or so. Limiting access in this way is said to reduce the “turbulence†that might otherwise occur were the special lane not to have a buffer, such that vehicles could instead enter or exit that lane anywhere along its length. Yet, real freeway traffic studied in spatiotemporal fashion shows that access points are prone to become bottlenecks. The problem occurs when traffic in the regular lanes becomes dense, as commonly happens during a rush. Drivers then seek refuge in the special lane in greater numbers. Since the vehicular maneuvers through the access point are focused within a limited physical space, they can become disruptive and further degrade traffic. Degradation can occur both in the special lane and in the adjacent regular ones. The damage can be worse than what occurs when barrier are not used to limit special-lane ingress and egress. Policy implications are discussed. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Managed lanes, Bottlenecks, Traffic congestion, Barriers, Carpool lanes, High occupancy vehicle lanes, Toll lanes |
| Date: | 2015–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt8j0585hg&r=tre |
| By: | Drabik, Dusan; de Gorter, Harry; Just, David R.; Timilsina, Govinda R. |
| Abstract: | We develop an economic model of flex plants, export demands and two domestic fuel demand curves: E25, a 25 percent blend of ethanol with gasoline consumed by conventional cars, and E100, ethanol consumed only by flex cars. This allows us to analyze the market impacts of specific policies, namely the E25 blend mandate, fixing gasoline prices below world prices, the high gasoline tax, and a higher tax exemption for ethanol used in E25. Because Brazilian and U.S. ethanol prices have become linked, a change in Brazilian ethanol policy or a shock in world sugar markets can now impact U.S. ethanol and corn prices. Because of two demand curves, with flex car owners switching between fuels depending on relative prices, and because the mandate is for E25 only, the impact of each Brazilian policy in theory has an ambiguous impact on ethanol and sugar prices. Conventional wisdom is that a higher level of the mandate, gasoline tax exemptions for ethanol and gasoline price, and a lower gasoline tax, all help the ethanol industry. But for two policies, a low gasoline tax and a high tax exemption for ethanol used in E25, our empirical results show ethanol and sugar prices decline. Overall, we find that the package of policy reforms implemented in 2010 offset the ethanol price increase due outward shifts in fuel transportation and sugar export demand curves, and reduced sugarcane supply due to bad weather, by about 27 percent. Our model illustrates the importance of Brazil’s ethanol policies on world commodity markets and provides insights on how the Brazilian government can adjust policies to better control domestic inflation while minimizing impacts on investment. |
| Keywords: | Brazil, ethanol, flex plants, sugarcane, mandate, tax exemption, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182709&r=tre |
| By: | Gracia, Azucena; Barreiro-Hurlé, Jesús; Pérez y Pérez, Luis |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the intention to use (pure) biodiesel under different scenarios. A model of the intention to use biodiesel has been developed based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and estimated using data from a survey conducted in Spain in 2010. Results show that the intention to use biodiesel depends on the price and availability of the biodiesel in the market. Even when biodiesel would be available in the market at the same price and widely spread through the current fuelling network less than 50% of all motorists would purchase biodiesel. These percentages diminish when consumers are required to pay higher prices or change behavior. |
| Keywords: | Intention to use, ordered probit, biofuels, consumer behaviour, theory of planned behaviour, Environmental Economics and Policy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, |
| Date: | 2014–08 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ags:eaae14:182802&r=tre |
| By: | Steltemeier, Bastian; Bioly, Sascha |
| Abstract: | The surveillance of supply chains will become more and more important by the rising complexity of the commodity flow. By the integration of telematics systems in the container traffic a tracking and tracing function can be realized. Safety stock and therefore the capital connection of an enterprise can be reduced by the improved prediction of the exact dates of delivery. The consistent surveillance of the transports can reduce the loss of goods and opens a more adaptable interception management. Based on these possibilities this research paper treats the technical realization of a tracking and tracing of containers on oversea transports, as well as the economic aspects of such a system. Therefor the technical bases of the used ZigBee technology are examined. In addition the existing tracking and tracing systems are analyzed on its qualities and compared with the ZigBee-Solution. After the choice and use of suitable economic analysis methods the possibilities as well as chances and risks of the system are specified finally. |
| Date: | 2014 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:fomild:43&r=tre |