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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Ciccone, Alice (Dept. of Economics, University of Oslo) |
| Abstract: | In 2007, the Norwegian government reformed the vehicle registration tax in order to reduce the carbon intensity of the new car fleet by incentivizing the purchase of more fuel efficient cars. This paper identifies the impact of the new tax structure on three main dimensions: (i) the average CO2 emissions intensity of new registered vehicles, (ii) the relative change in sales between low and high polluting cars and (iii) the market share of diesel cars. A Difference in Difference approach is employed to estimate the short run effects on each outcome variable of interest. The results show that the average CO2 intensity of new vehicles was reduced in the year of the implementation of the reform by about 7.5 g of CO2/km. This reduction is the result of a 12 percentage points drop in the share of highly polluting cars and of an increase of about 20 percentage points in the market share of diesel cars. |
| Keywords: | CO2 emissions intensity; New vehicles; Vehicle registration tax; Tax reform; Norway; Diesel |
| JEL: | H25 L62 Q51 Q53 Q54 R48 |
| Date: | 2015–02–11 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hhs:osloec:2015_003&r=tre |
| By: | Paltsev, Sergey; Chen, Y.-H. Henry; Karplus, Valerie; Kishimoto, Paul; Reilly, John; Loeschel, Andreas; von Graevenitz, Kathrine; Koesler, Simon |
| Abstract: | CO2 emissions mandates for new light-duty passenger vehicles have recently been adopted in the European Union (EU), which require steady reductions to 95 g CO2/km in 2021. Using a computable general equilibrium (CGE) model, we analyze the impact of the mandates on oil demand, CO2 emissions, and economic welfare, and compare the results to an emission trading scenario that achieves identical emissions reductions. We find that vehicle emission standards reduce CO2 emissions from transportation by about 50 MtCO2 and lower the oil expenditures by about €6 billion, but at a net added cost of €12 billion in 2020. Tightening CO2 standards further after 2021 would cost the EU economy an additional €24-63 billion in 2025 compared with an emission trading system achieving the same economy-wide CO2 reduction. We offer a discussion of the design features for incorporating transport into the emission trading system. |
| Date: | 2015 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:cawmdp:84&r=tre |
| By: | ITO Tadashi; IWAHASHI Roki; ISHIKAWA Yoshifumi; NAKAMURA Ryohei |
| Abstract: | Using economic tools, this paper analyzes how the recently launched cargo hub at Naha Airport can contribute to an expansion of Japan's trade with Asian countries and also to sustainable development of Okinawa prefecture. As to the first issue of trade with Asia, we conducted a simulation analysis on an increase of exports by estimating both the transport cost and transport time elasticities of demand using the most disaggregated export customs data of Japan. The simulation result shows that the export value will increase by 11% in the case of a 30% reduction in transport time and no change in transport cost. As to the second issue of sustainable development, we computed the ripple effects of Naha Airport's cargo hub using an input-output table for Okinawa prefecture which we constructed, finding that the sum of the ripple effect and an increase in exports of made-in-Okinawa goods reaches a mere 0.3% of the prefecture's gross domestic product (GDP). |
| Date: | 2015–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:15036&r=tre |
| By: | Riccardo Basosi (Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Italy); Franco Ruzzenenti (Department of Biotechnology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Siena, Italy) |
| Abstract: | One of the goals of WP7 is that of analyzing the energy crisis within the global economic crisis and assess to what extent fuel prices can promote the transition towards a more sustainable and efficient energy regime. This paper addresses the European freight transport system, national and cross-boarder, and assesses the evolution of its efficiency and intensity during the period 1998-2011, when oil prices globally increased, up the hike of the 2008. It will also be investigated the rebound effect in the sector according to two different approaches: 1) a standard, econometric approach based on regressing the elasticity of energy efficiency and energy service; 2) a new methodology based on network theory and statistical mechanics. According to the econometric approach to the European freight transport sector there was a positive rebound of about 40% globally and 38% on cross-border trade, whereas there was no significant (cross-border) rebound in Europe according to the model based on network theory. Interestingly, this latter model showed that the cross-border European freight transport network is more efficient compared to other regional networks and to the world, because weights more mass than money in its exchanges. |
| Keywords: | Energy Efficiency, European Freight Transport Sector, Rebound Effect, Network Theory |
| JEL: | R4 Q4 |
| Date: | 2014–01–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fes:wpaper:wpaper77&r=tre |
| By: | MENG Jianjun; ZHANG Hongyong |
| Abstract: | In China, with its vast land area, railroad transportation plays the most important role in forming an extensive basic logistics structure and logistics system. However, since 1949, railroad logistics has not been used freely as it has been managed under the centralized control of the Ministry of Railways, which is a semi-military organization in nature under a national strategy. Since shifting to reform and opening-up policies in 1978, economic resources have been mobilized as a result of the revitalization of the local economy, and railroad logistics has commenced according to the market mechanism toward the unified local economy, namely, the unified domestic market. In March 2013, the Ministry of Railways was dismantled, and China Railway Construction Corporation, which is a business organization, was officially founded. As a result, the managing right and ownership of railroads that was monopolized by the state as well as the market including railroad construction was opened fully to private enterprises and local governments, thereby triggering a gradual commercialization of railroad logistics.This paper—focusing on the significance of railroad logistics during the reform and opening-up period—aims to clarify the relations between the structural changes in China's railroad logistics and the unified local economy due to commercialization by conducting an empirical analysis with a gravity model using data on inter-regional rail freight transportation volume from 1990-2012. Through such empirical analysis on railroad logistics, the following important facts were observed. Although structural changes in railroad logistics are influenced by the physical distance between regions, long distance transportation has commenced along with economic growth in each region, thereby moving toward integrated local economies. In particular, growth in demand in the secondary industry located in each spoke in the road networks largely contributes to structural changes in railroad logistics. Concurrently, it should be noted that the structural changes in railroad logistics are still under the influence of state-owned enterprises from each region. |
| Date: | 2015–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:eti:rdpsjp:15024&r=tre |
| By: | Cooper, Jill F; Ragland, David R; Ewald, Katrin; Lisa, Wasserman; Murphy, Christopher J |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Medicine and Health Sciences, safeTREC, transportation, cell phone, driver behavior |
| Date: | 2015–02–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt3qk7z3br&r=tre |
| By: | Mauro Pisu; Barbara Pels; Novella Bottini |
| Abstract: | The United Kingdom (UK) has spent less on infrastructure compared to other OECD countries over the past three decades. The perceived quality of UK infrastructure assets is close to the OECD average but lower than in other G7 countries. Capacity constraints have emerged in some sectors, such as electricity generation, air transport and roads. Developing and regularly updating a national infrastructure strategy, with the National Infrastructure Plan being a welcome first step in this direction, would contribute to reduce policy uncertainty and tackle capacity constraints in a durable way. The design of coherent development plans by local authorities congruent with the national and local planning systems should continue to improve project delivery. The government intends to finance a large share of infrastructure spending to 2020 and beyond through private capital. Unlocking private investment in a cost effective and transparent way could be supported by further improving incentives for greenfield investment, continuing to carefully assess and record public-private partnerships, and promoting more long-term financing instruments. This Working Paper relates to the 2015 OECD Economic Survey of the United Kingdom (www.oecd.org/eco/surveys/economic-survey-united-kingdom.htm).<P>Améliorer les infrastructures au Royaume-Uni<BR>Au Royaume-Uni, les dépenses dans les infrastructures ont été inférieures à ce qu’elles ont été dans d’autres pays de l’OCDE au cours des trois dernières décennies. La perception de la qualité des actifs d’infrastructure y est comparable à la moyenne de l’OCDE, mais est plus faible que dans les autres pays du G7. Des contraintes de capacité se sont fait jour dans certains secteurs comme la production d’électricité, le transport aérien ou le réseau routier. L’élaboration et l’actualisation régulière d’une stratégie nationale en matière d’infrastructures, avec le Plan National d’Infrastructure étant une première étape bienvenue en ce sens, contribuerait à réduire les incertitudes au niveau de l’action publique et de s’attaquer de manière durable aux contraintes de capacité. La conception, par les collectivités locales, de plans de développement cohérents conformes aux systèmes de planification nationaux et locaux améliorerait la livraison de projets. Le gouvernement a l’intention de financer une grande partie des dépenses d’infrastructures jusqu’en 2020 et au-delà en mobilisant des capitaux privés. Le déverrouillage de l’investissement privé de manière transparente et avec un bon rapport coût/efficacité pourrait être soutenu en améliorant les incitations à investir dans des installations entièrement nouvelles, de recenser et d’évaluer soigneusement les partenariats public-privé et de promouvoir de nouveaux instruments de financement à long terme. |
| Keywords: | transport, energy, infrastructure, railways, private investment, public-private partnerships, road transport |
| JEL: | H54 L91 L92 L93 L94 L95 L96 L98 |
| Date: | 2015–07–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:oec:ecoaaa:1244-en&r=tre |
| By: | Massimo Filippini (Institute of Economics (IdEP), University of Lugano; Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland); Martin Koller (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland); Giuliano Masiero (Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering (DIGIP), University of Bergamo, Italy; Institute of Economics (IdEP), University of Lugano, Switzerland) |
| Abstract: | The purpose of this study is to assess differences in the levels of cost efficiency of bus lines operated under competitively tendered contracts and performance-based negotiated contracts. Following the revision of the Swiss railways act in 1996, regional public authorities were given the choice between two different contractual regimes to procure public passenger transport services. We directly compare the impact of competitive tendering and performance-based negotiation by applying a stochastic frontier analysis to the complete dataset of bus lines (n=630) operated by the main Swiss company (Swiss Post) at the same time (in 2009) throughout the country. The overall results show that the differences in the levels of cost efficiency between the two contractual regimes are not signi?cant. Our findings are in line with recent evidence of cost convergence between competitive tendering and performance-based negotiation, and suggest that the practice of using both contractual regimes is challenging for the operators in terms of competitive pressure. The threat of competitive tendering may have a disciplining effect on negotiation since it prevents bus companies from bargaining inadequate rents and inducing asymmetric information advantages. |
| Keywords: | public bus contracts, competitive tendering, performance-based negotiation, cost efficiency |
| JEL: | C21 D24 H57 L92 |
| Date: | 2015–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:lug:wpidep:1504&r=tre |
| By: | Chan, Ching-Yao; Gupta, Somak Datta; Huang, Jihua; Chiu, Guan-Ling; Nelson, David; Lian, Thang |
| Abstract: | This report describes the development of an automated speed enforcement (aSE) system. The main function of the aSE system is to communicate relevant speed, violation, and hazard information to the stakeholders in the work zone context: drivers, CHP officers, and workers. The system consists of two sub-systems that can work jointly in an integrated manner as a whole but they can also be deployed and tested separately. |
| Keywords: | Engineering, Speeding, Automated speed enforcement, Work zones, Worker safety |
| Date: | 2013–10–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsrrp:qt0526z6j5&r=tre |
| By: | Christopher R. Knittel; Ben S. Meiselman; James H. Stock |
| Abstract: | The U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) requires blending increasing quantities of biofuels into the U.S. surface vehicle fuel supply. In 2013, the fraction of ethanol in the gasoline pool effectively reached 10%, the ethanol capacity of the dominant U.S. gasoline blend (the “E10 blend wall”). During 2013-2015, the price of RINs—tradeable electronic certificates for complying with the RFS—fluctuated through a wide range, largely because of changes in actual and expected policy combined with learning about the implications of the E10 blend wall. RINs are sold by biofuels producers and purchased by obligated parties (refiners and importers), who must retire RINs in proportion to the petroleum they sell for surface transportation. As a result, RINs in effect serve as a charge on obligated fuels and a corrective subsidy for lower-carbon renewable fuels, and are neutral for fuels outside the RFS. In theory, RIN prices provide incentives to consumers to use fuels with a high renewable content and to biofuels producers to produce those fuels, and as such are a key mechanism of the RFS. This paper examines the extent to which RIN prices are passed through to the price of obligated fuels, and provides econometric results that complement the graphical analysis in Burkholder (2015). We analyze daily data on RINs and fuel prices from January 1, 2013 through March 10, 2015. When we examine wholesale prices on comparable obligated and non-obligated fuels, for example the spread between diesel and jet fuel in the U.S. Gulf, we find that that roughly one-half to three-fourths of a change in RIN prices is passed through to obligated fuels in the same day as the RIN price movement, and this fraction rises over the subsequent few business days. Using six different wholesale spreads between obligated and non-obligated fuels, we estimate a pooled long-run pass-through coefficient of 1.01 with a standard error of 0.12. We also examine the transmission of RIN prices to retail fuel prices. The net RIN obligation on E10 is essentially zero over this period, and indeed we find no statistical evidence linking changes in RIN prices to changes in E10 prices. We also examine the price of E85 which, with an estimated average of 74% ethanol, generates more RINs than it obligates and thus in principle receives a large RIN subsidy. In contrast to the foregoing results, which are consistent with theory, the pass-through of RIN prices to the E85-E10 spread is precisely estimated to be zero if one adjusts for seasonality (as we argue should be done), or if not, is at most 30%. Over this period, on average high RIN prices did not translate into discounted prices for E85. |
| JEL: | C32 Q42 |
| Date: | 2015–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:21343&r=tre |