|
on Transport Economics |
| By: | Hector G. Lopez-Ruiz; Nora Nezamuddin; Abdelrahman Muhsen (King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center) |
| Abstract: | Logistics and infrastructure policy will play key roles in Saudi Arabia’s economic diversification and reform efforts. This study provides a quantitative assessment of specific measures related to freight transport, taking into consideration the heterogeneity of urban, regional and inter-regional localities in Saudi Arabia. This paper, mirroring the global approach developed by the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, analyzes the potential impact of logistics policy. It sheds light on how transport regulations can help rationalize fuel consumption and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants in the Kingdom. |
| Keywords: | Freight Transport Activity, Freight Transport Energy Demand, Multimodal Freight transport, Saudi Freight Transport, Transport Policy Design |
| Date: | 2020–04–26 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:prc:dpaper:ks--2020-dp08&r=all |
| By: | Jeremy van Dijk; Mehdi Farsi; Sylvain Weber |
| Abstract: | This paper experimentally investigates the existence of behavioural deviations from the oft-assumed rationality in private transport decisions, avoiding the selection-biases in revealed data. Through a choice experiment answered by 995 Swiss respondents, we explore the linkages between long- and medium-term travel investment decisions, and the choice of transport mode. We test the existence of commitment device usage in car and public transport pass purchases, and the sunk cost fallacy, as well as the impact of electric vehicles on mode choice. We find little evidence to support the existence of commitment devices, and no sunk cost fallacy. We further show that electric vehicle owners are equally likely to commute in their car, however use a greater mix of transport modes for leisure and long-distance trips. Our results support the importance of marginal travel costs in transport policy, as well as demonstrate the wide impact of rising EV consumption. |
| Keywords: | Transport, Behaviour, Choice experiment, Commitment, Sunk cost, Electric vehicles, Energy technology adoption, Environmental policy. |
| Date: | 2020–04 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:irn:wpaper:20-04&r=all |
| By: | Markova, Olga (Маркова, Ольга) (The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration); Meleshkina, Anna (Мелешкина, Анна) (The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration) |
| Abstract: | The article is devoted to the analysis of the reaction of competing airlines to the entry of a new player into the market. This problem is relevant in the light of discussions around methods to stimulate competition in the passenger air transportation markets. Decision urgent problems in the field of civil air transportation in relation to competition issues require reformatting of approaches to industry and antitrust policies. The regulator is faced with the question of balancing the interests of airlines, airport service providers and end-users - passengers. In this case, it is necessary to determine the direction of reform - deregulation or state subsidies. This study is an attempt to systematize the competitive strategies chosen by air carriers in response to changing competition conditions. The results of the analysis may be of interest from the point of view of building forecasts of airline behavior on different routes (markets) with deregulation of the industry and an increase in the number of competitors. |
| Keywords: | passenger air transportation, competitive strategies, barriers entry |
| Date: | 2020–03 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rnp:wpaper:032018&r=all |
| By: | McGaughey, Ewan (King's College, London) |
| Abstract: | This is a draft Green New Deal Act 2020, designed to decarbonise the economy, and make society wealthier and healthier, at next to zero cost to taxpayers. It includes provisions on: (1) establishing a Green New Deal commission to report on progress and recommend future changes to Parliament, (2) decarbonisation of transport, namely all buses, taxis, delivery vehicles, cars, and rail, limitation of plane flights, and golden shares in auto-manufacturers to switch production, (3) decarbonisation of energy generation, (4) a duty on the Coal, and Oil and Gas Authorities to eliminate the coal, oil and gas industries, and the creation of civil and criminal liability for climate damage, (5) a just transition with full employment, an income guarantee, and training for all affected workers, (6) changing agricultural subsidies to ensure carbon neutral practices, carbon traffic light labelling in all supermarkets, and recycling, (7) duties of the Bank of England, financial regulators, and all company directors to divest from fossil fuels and invest in clean energy, (8) empowerment of local government in transport, energy, building and agriculture, and (9) duties on the Secretary of State to negotiate for decarbonisation in all international agreements and military affairs. These statutory measures will ensure an end to climate damage by 2025. |
| Date: | 2020–03–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:lawarx:j6qwv&r=all |
| By: | César Ducruet; Réka Juhász; David Krisztián Nagy; Claudia Steinwender |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the distributional and aggregate economic effects of new port technologies developed in the second half of the 20th century. We show that new technologies have led to a significant reallocation of shipping activity from large to small cities. This was driven by a land price mechanism; as new port technologies are more land-intensive, ports moved from large, high land price cities to smaller, lower land price ones. We add endogenous port development to a standard quantitative model of crosscity trade to account for both the benefits and the costs of port development. According to the model, the adoption of new port technologies leads to benefits through increasing market access but is costly, requiring the extensive use of land, suggesting a reallocation of shipping activities towards cities with low land prices and thus net gains from new port technologies that are heterogeneous across cities. Counterfactual results suggest that new port technologies led to sizable aggregate gains for the world economy, with substantial heterogeneity in the effects across countries. More generally, accounting for the costs of port infrastructure development endogenously has the potential to alter the size and distribution of the gains from trade. |
| Keywords: | quantitative economic geography, international trade, transport infrastructure |
| JEL: | R12 R13 R14 R42 |
| Date: | 2019–07 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:upf:upfgen:1708&r=all |
| By: | Richard Blundell (University College London and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Ran Gu (University of Essex and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Soeren Leth-Petersen (CEBI, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen); Hamish Low (University of Oxford and Institute for Fiscal Studies); Costas Meghir (Yale University, NBER and Institute for Fiscal Studies) |
| Abstract: | We specify an equilibrium model of car ownership with private information where individuals sell and purchase new and second-hand cars over their life-cycle. Private information induces a transaction cost and distorts the market reducing the value of a car as a savings instrument. We estimate the model using data on car ownership in Denmark, linked to register data. The lemons penalty is estimated to be 18% of the price in the first year of ownership, declining with the length of ownership. It leads to large reductions in the turnover of cars and in the probability of downgrading at job loss. |
| Keywords: | Lemons penalty, car market, estimated life-cycle equilibrium model |
| JEL: | D82 E21 |
| Date: | 2019–09–12 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kud:kucebi:1907&r=all |
| By: | Jean Flemming |
| Abstract: | Even though workers in the UK spent just 1,000 pounds on commuting in 2017, the economic loss may be far higher because of the congestion externality arising from the way in which one worker's commute affects the commuting time of others. I provide empirical evidence that commuting time affects job acceptance, pointing to large indirect costs of congestion. To interpret the empirical facts and quantify the costs of congestion, I build a model featuring a frictional labor market within a metropolitan area. By endogenizing commuting congestion in a labor search model, the model connects labor market responses to urban policies. Workers evaluate job offers based on their productivity and commuting costs, taking congestion as given, but by accepting and commuting to distant jobs, affect other workers' labor market outcomes. Through this mechanism, equilibrium moving decisions, housing rent, and wages are tightly linked to congestion. Calibrating the model to the local labor market around London, I show that the effect of the congestion externality is to significantly decrease welfare and increase wage inequality. I quantify the effects of a congestion tax on labor market outcomes, and show that the welfare-maximizing tax has substantial negative effects on inequality, but comes at a cost of higher unemployment. |
| Keywords: | Job search; Wage distribution; Congestion externality; Commuting |
| JEL: | E24 J32 J62 R13 R41 |
| Date: | 2020–03–27 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fedgfe:2020-25&r=all |
| By: | Christina Gravert (CEBI, Department of Economics, University of Copenhagen); Linus Olsson Collentine (University of Gothenburg) |
| Abstract: | In three large-scale field experiments with over 32,000 individuals, we investigate whether public transport uptake can be in uenced by behavioral interventions and by economic incentives. Despite their effectiveness in other domains, we find a tightly estimated zero for social norms and implementation intentions on ridership. Doubling the trial period from two to four weeks significantly increases uptake and long-term usage. This increase is sustained for months after removing the incentive. The effect is mainly driven by initial low users, which is evidence for habit formation. While there is scope for long-term behavior change, nudges might not be the right approach. |
| Keywords: | transport, nudging, field experiment, habit formation |
| JEL: | C93 D04 D91 L91 |
| Date: | 2019–12–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:kud:kucebi:1910&r=all |
| By: | Haapamäki, Taina; Kauhanen, Antti; Laakso, Seppo; Metsäranta, Heikki; Ojanperä, Marianna; Riukula, Krista; Väänänen, Touko |
| Abstract: | Abstract The spatial concentration of production and population to urban areas is an important theme in societal discussion. The spatial concentration of economic activity is called agglomeration in urban economics. The economic impact of agglomeration is seen in the productivity of firms. Understanding agglomeration and its impacts is important from the point of view of transport, business and urbanization policies. This report lays out a theoretical framework that can be used to analyze the impacts of agglomeration and examine how the improvements of the transport system affects agglomeration. The recent empirical literature on the impact of the transport system on agglomeration is reviewed and the challenges of this literature are discussed. The focus is especially on how the impact of changes in the transport system on agglomeration can be analyzed in a reliable way. The main threats to reliable analysis are double counting of benefits and poor research designs leading to too large estimates of the elasticity between accessibility and productivity. The report provides recommendations on how the transport appraisal frameworks should be developed to capture agglomeration effects, and highlights the need for Finnish research on this subject. |
| Keywords: | Transport system, Agglomeration, Wider economic impacts |
| JEL: | R42 H43 H54 |
| Date: | 2020–05–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:rif:report:101&r=all |
| By: | Xing, Yan; Handy, Susan; Circella, Giovanni; Wang, Yunshi; Alemi, Farzad |
| Abstract: | Self-driving vehicles, as a revolution in mobility, are emerging and developing rapidly. However, public attitudes toward this new unproven technology are still uncertain. Given the significant influence of attitude toward a new technology on the intention to use it, the question arises as to why some people are in favor of this technology whereas others are not. Additionally, questions about the key attitudes influencing self-driving technology acceptance, where these attitudes come from, and how they interact with each other have not yet been addressed. This study aims to explore these research questions based on data collected from people who live or work in the West Village area of the University of California, Davis, campus after a self-driving electric shuttle was piloted in this area. structural equation modeling was employed to explore interactions between attitude elements. The results show that affect—i.e., liking or enthusiasm for self-driving shuttles—strongly explains the acceptance of self-driving technology. A higher level of affect could be formed by strengthening an individual’s trust. Additionally, trust works as an important mediator between perceived risk, usefulness, and ease of use on both affect and intention to ride self-driving vehicles. Perceived risk captured more security and functional concerns, reflecting uncertainty around current self-driving technology. The model identified important bi-directional influences between trust and affect. Significant effects of mental and physical intangibility were also shown, but each works differently on cognitive beliefs. Individuals’ socio-demographic, lifestyle, and mobility characteristics also exert influences on attitude and self-driving technology acceptance. View the NCST Project Webpage |
| Keywords: | Social and Behavioral Sciences, Self-driving shuttle, acceptance, attitude, affect, structural equation modeling |
| Date: | 2020–04–01 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cdl:itsdav:qt1509n72d&r=all |