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on Transport Economics |
| By: | Li,Shanjun; Wang,Binglin; Yang,Muxi; Zhang,Fan |
| Abstract: | Electrifying the transportation sector is key to reaching the goal of carbon neutrality.This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the diffusion of passenger electric vehicles based on detaileddata on model-level electrical vehicle sales across the world from 2013 to 2020. The analysis shows that the highlyuneven electrical vehicle penetration across countries is partly driven by cross-country variation in incentives andespecially in the availability of charging infrastructure. Investment in charging infrastructure would have been muchmore cost-effective than consumer purchase subsidies in promoting electrical vehicle adoption. This findinghighlights the importance of expanding charging infrastructure in the next phase of deeper electricalvehicle diffusion. |
| Keywords: | Ports & Waterways,Transport Services,Macro-Fiscal Policy,Taxation & Subsidies,Tax Administration,Public Sector Economics,Public Finance Decentralization and Poverty Reduction,Economic Adjustment and Lending,Tax Law,Public Sector Administrative & Civil Service Reform,Public Sector Administrative and Civil Service Reform,Democratic Government,De Facto Governments |
| Date: | 2021–12–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9882&r= |
| By: | Amirhesam Badeanlou; Andrea Araldo; Marco Diana; Vincent Gauthier |
| Abstract: | Current transit suffers from an evident inequity: the level of service of transit in suburbs is much less satisfying than in city centers. As a consequence, private cars are still the dominant transportation mode for suburban people, which results in congestion and pollution. To achieve sustainability goals and reduce car-dependency, transit should be (re)designed around equity. To this aim, it is necessary to (i) quantify the "level of equity" of the transit system and (ii) provide an indicator that scores the transit lines that contribute the most to keep transit equitable. This indicator could suggest on which lines the transit operator must invest to increase the service level (frequency or coverage) in order to reduce inequity in the system. To the best of our knowledge, this paper is the first to tackle (ii). To this aim, we propose efficient scoring methods that rely solely on open data, which allows us to perform the analysis on multiple cities (7 in this paper). Our method can be used to guide large-scale iterative optimization algorithms to improve accessibility equity. |
| Date: | 2022–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2210.00128&r= |
| By: | Cosar,Kerem,Demir,Banu,Ghose,Devaki,Young,Nathaniel Virgil C |
| Abstract: | What is the impact on intranational trade and regional economic outcomes when the quality and lane capacity of an existing paved road network is expanded significantly? This paper investigates this question for the case of Turkey, which undertook a large-scale public investment in roads during the 2000s. Using spatially disaggregated data on road upgrades and domestic transactions, the paper estimates a large positive impact of reduced travel times on trade as well as local manufacturing employment and wages. A quantitative exercise using a workhorse model of spatial equilibrium implies heterogeneous effects across locations, with aggregate real income gains reaching 2–3 percent in the long run. Reductions in travel times increased the local employment-to-population ratio but had no effect on local population. The model is extended by endogenizing the labor supply decision to capture this finding. The model-implied elasticity of employment rates to travel time reductions captures about one-third of the empirical elasticity. |
| Keywords: | International Trade and Trade Rules,Transport Services,Labor Markets,Roads&Highways,Inter-Urban Roads and Passenger Transport,Roads and Highways Performance |
| Date: | 2021–09–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9772&r= |
| By: | Iimi,Atsushi |
| Abstract: | Informal public transport has been growing rapidly in many developing countries. Because urbaninfrastructure development tends to lag rapid population growth, informal public transport often meets the growinggap between demand and supply in urban mobility. Despite the rich literature primarily focused on formal transport modes,the informal transport sector is relatively unknown. This paper analyzes the demand behavior in the “informal” minibussector in Antananarivo, Madagascar, taking advantage of a recent user survey of thousands of people. It finds that thedemand for informal public transport is generally inelastic. Essentially, people have no other choice. While the timeelasticity is estimated at −0.02 to −0.05, the price elasticity is −0.05 to −0.06 for short-distance travelers,who may have alternative choices, such as motorcycle taxi or walking. Unlike formal public transportation, the demandalso increases with income. Regardless of income level, everyone uses minibuses. The estimated demand functionsindicate that people prefer safety and more flexibility in transit. The paper shows that combining these improvementsand fare adjustments, the informal transport sector can contribute to increasing people’s mobility and reducingtraffic congestion in the city. |
| Date: | 2022–04–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10006&r= |
| By: | Callejas, Jerónimo; Linn,Joshua Abraham; Steinbuks,Jevgenijs |
| Abstract: | Developing countries face a major challenge of decarbonizing their light-duty vehicle fleetand transitioning to the broad use of electric vehicles. However, there is little evidence on which policies can mosteffectively facilitate that transition in these countries, distinguished by relatively low-income consumers and highlyconcentrated markets that distort vehicle markups. This paper analyzes existing and proposed policies aiming toreduce emissions from new passenger vehicles in Colombia, which has used preferential sales taxes and import tariffsto stimulate hybrid and electric cars sales. Using highly detailed data on vehicle purchases and attributes, the paperestimates an equilibrium model of Colombia’s market that includes a random-coefficients logit demand structure andendogenizes firms’ markups. Using the model to simulate policies, the analysis finds that Colombia’s sales tax andimport tariffs have increased hybrid and electric vehicle market shares by 0.9 to 2.7 percentage points at welfarecosts of $40-$48 per ton of carbon dioxide reduction. Potentially taxing carbon dioxide emissions rates of newvehicles would have roughly similar welfare costs. The high welfare costs of these policies arise from preexistingdistortions caused by market power, which yields large private welfare costs of shifting from gasoline to hybridand electric vehicles. |
| Date: | 2022–04–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10001&r= |
| By: | Andrew Seltzer; Jonathan Wadsworth |
| Abstract: | This paper examines the consequences of the commuter transport revolution on working-class labour markets in London, circa 1930. Using GIS-based data constructed from the New Survey of London Life and Labour, we examine the extent of commuting and estimate the earnings returns to commuting. We show that commuting was an important feature for most working-class Londoners in the early-twentieth century. Using a variety of identifying procedures to address the endogeneity of distance commuted, we estimate a likely causal return of between 1.5 to 3.5 percent of earnings for each additional kilometre travelled. We also show that commuting was an important contributor to improvements in quality of life in the early-twentieth century. |
| Keywords: | commuting, public transport, earnings, London |
| Date: | 2022–09–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:cep:cepdps:dp1868&r= |
| By: | Claudia Teran-Escobar (SENS - Sport et Environnement Social - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes, PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Sarah Duché (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Hélène Bouscasse (CESAER - Centre d'Economie et de Sociologie Rurales Appliquées à l'Agriculture et aux Espaces Ruraux - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - Institut Agro Dijon - Institut Agro - Institut national d'enseignement supérieur pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement); Sandrine Isoard-Gautheur (SENS - Sport et Environnement Social - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Patrick Juen (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Lilas Lacoste (SENS - Sport et Environnement Social - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes, PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Sarah Lyon-Caen (IAB - Institute for Advanced Biosciences / Institut pour l'Avancée des Biosciences (Grenoble) - CHU - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire [Grenoble] - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - EFS - Etablissement français du sang - Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Sandrine Mathy (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Estelle Ployon (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Anna Risch (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Philippe Sarrazin (SENS - Sport et Environnement Social - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Rémy Slama (IAB - Institute for Advanced Biosciences / Institut pour l'Avancée des Biosciences (Grenoble) - CHU - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire [Grenoble] - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale - EFS - Etablissement français du sang - Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Kamila Tabaka (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Carole Treibich (GAEL - Laboratoire d'Economie Appliquée de Grenoble - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - Grenoble INP - Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Sonia Chardonnel (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes); Aïna Chalabaev (SENS - Sport et Environnement Social - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes) |
| Abstract: | Background: Frequent car use contributes to health and environmental issues such as air pollution, climate change and obesity. Active and sustainable mobility (bike, walk, public transport, car sharing) may address these issues. Different strategies have been implemented in past research, involving hard levers, aimed at modifying the economical or geographical context (e.g., free public transport), and soft levers, aimed at modifying psychological processes (e.g., personalised transport advice). However, few studies have combined both hard and soft levers. In addition, few have used robust methodologies (e.g., randomised controlled trials), followed behavioural changes in the longterm, and been anchored in behaviour change theories. InterMob aims to address these limits by implementing a 24-month randomised controlled trial including hard and soft levers. The objectives of InterMob are to a) evaluate the effectiveness of an experimental arm versus an active controlled arm, and b) identify the processes of mobility change. Methods: Regular car users living in Grenoble (N = 300) will be recruited and randomised to one of the two arms. The experimental arm consists in a six-month intervention combining hard levers (free access to transport/bikes), and soft levers (e.g., personalised transport advice). The control arm consists in a six-month intervention aimed at raising awareness on air pollution and its health effects. Both arms will include eight evaluation weeks (spread out over 24 months) based on a GPS, an accelerometer, and a pollution sensor. Moreover, participants will complete mobility logbooks and surveys measuring psychological constructs, socio-economical, and socio-spatial characteristics. Discussion: InterMob will assess the effectiveness of two interventions aimed at reducing car use within regular car users in the short-, mid- and long-term. Moreover, InterMob will allow to better understand the psychological processes of behaviour change, and the socio-economical and geographical conditions under which the intervention is efficient in reducing car use. Finally, the benefits of mobility change in terms of physical activity, quality of life, and exposure to pollution will be quantified. Trial registration: Clini calTr ials. gov: NCT05096000 on 27/10/2021 (retrospectively registered). |
| Keywords: | Daily mobility,Spatial organisation,Psychology,Car use,Active mobility,Sustainable mobility,Behaviour change,Health,Air pollution,RCT |
| Date: | 2022–09–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03781415&r= |
| By: | Lebrand,Mathilde Sylvie Maria; Yin,Qiuyan |
| Abstract: | Household surveys remain underutilized for understanding transport choices such asexpenditure level and composition, the economic impacts of road accidents, and the economic and distributional impactsof environmental policies such as vehicle restrictions or fuel taxes. This paper reviews more than 30 Living StandardsMeasurement Study surveys conducted after 2010, non-Living Standards Measurement Study surveys, and two World Bankharmonized household survey databases, to compile and categorize an extensive list of transport-related questions.The paper discusses current limitations in using Living Standards Measurement Study household surveys. Most of thetransport-related questions in the Living Standards Measurement Study survey collection are not harmonizedacross years and countries. Consistent and more detailed data on road accidents and the type and use of vehiclesshould be added to help design and evaluate road safety and climate policies. A standard set of guidelines and samplequestions to be integrated into future household surveys is therefore provided. |
| Keywords: | Labor Markets,Educational Sciences,Human Rights,Employment and Unemployment |
| Date: | 2022–02–23 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9944&r= |
| By: | Mogens Fosgerau; Miroslawa Lukawska; Mads Paulsen; Thomas Kj{\ae}r Rasmussen |
| Abstract: | How much is the volume of urban bicycle traffic affected by the provision of bicycle infrastructure? We exploit a large dataset of observed bicycle trajectories in combination with a fine-grained representation of the Copenhagen bicycle-relevant network. We apply a novel model for the bicyclist choice of route from origin to destination that takes the complete network into account. This enables us to back out the bicyclist preferences for a range of infrastructure and land-use types. We use the estimated preferences to compute a subjective cost of bicycle travel, which we correlate with the number of bicycle trips across a large number of origin-destination pairs. Simulations suggest that the extensive Copenhagen bicycle lane network has increased the number of bicycle trips by 40 percent and the volume of bicycle km by 60 percent, compared to a counterfactual without the bicycle lane network. This translates into an annual benefit worth 0.4 M EUR per km of bicycle lane due to changes in subjective travel cost, health, and accidents. Our results thus strongly support the provision of bicycle infrastructure. |
| Date: | 2022–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2210.02504&r= |
| By: | Echeverría, Lucía (University of Zaragoza); Gimenez-Nadal, J. Ignacio (University of Zaragoza); Molina, José Alberto (University of Zaragoza) |
| Abstract: | Research has shown that commuting is related to the health of workers, and that mode choice may have differential effects on this relationship. We analyze the relationship between commuting by different modes of transport and the health status reported by US workers, using the 2014-2016 Eating and Health (EH) Module of the American Time Use Survey (ATUS). We estimate Ordinary Least Squares models on a measure of subjective health, that is the self-reported assessment of individual general health status, and on the body mass index. We find that longer commutes by bicycle are significantly related to higher levels of subjective health and to lower body mass index, while commuting by walking is weakly related to both health measures. We test the robustness of our results to possible measurement errors in commuting times, to the exclusion of compensating factors, and to the estimation method. We additionally instrument individual use of bicycles with an indicator of individual green attitudes, based on the General Social Survey (GSS), and the results consistently show that individuals who commute longer by bicycle report better subjective health and lower body mass index. Our results may help policy makers in evaluating the importance of having infrastructures that facilitate the use of bicycles as a means of transport, boosting investment in these infrastructures, especially in large cities. |
| Keywords: | commuting, health, walking, cycling, American Time Use Survey |
| JEL: | R40 I10 J22 |
| Date: | 2022–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:iza:izadps:dp15572&r= |
| By: | Renaud Di Francesco; Françoise Bahoken (AME-SPLOTT - Systèmes Productifs, Logistique, Organisation des Transports et Travail - Université Gustave Eiffel) |
| Abstract: | The analysis of similarities and differences between ports at the global level can help the Maritime ecosystem for different purposes, including business planning, operation, and regulation. Our methodology is demonstrated in a particular case of interest as the "short sea shipping" traffic through a harbour. However, no structural limit to the scope of adaptation is introduced. The new methodology proposed for Ports builds on a recent framework of Matrices of Sets, where the computational efficiency of matrices is combined with the versatility and flexibility of sets to capture quantitative and qualitative information. Origin Destination (OD) Matrices of Sets (odMS) are cross tables where the value Mij placed at the intersection of a row (i) and a column (j) is a set of OD. The odMS framework aims to exploit the computational efficiency of OD matrices by combining it with the flexibility of sets. It suits qualitative and quantitative analysis of entities described. The case study is a European port network defined by several characteristics forming an odMS. Then, on an operational point of view, odMS method addresses the need for port authorities to benchmark and compare themselves with each other, with an aim to increase their competitiveness and to identify and characterise their competitors or possible partners in port alliances (estimate complementarities and compatibility within such alliances). |
| Keywords: | Europe,similarities,OD matrices,matrices of sets,Jaccard index,Ports |
| Date: | 2022–09–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03788195&r= |
| By: | Giménez-Nadal, José Ignacio; Velilla, Jorge; Ortega, Raquel |
| Abstract: | This paper analyzes the commuting behavior of employee and self-employed workers in urban areas of eleven Latin American countries, within a theoretical framework that identifies employees' excess commuting as different from self-employed workers' commuting. Using data from the ECAF data, results show that employees spend about 8.2 more minutes commuting to work than their self-employed counterparts, net of observable characteristics, a difference of around 18.5% of the employees' commuting time. This difference is qualitatively robust across the eleven countries and is concentrated in commutes by public transit, but it is not explained by differences in access to public transit services between the two groups. This analysis is a first exploration of self-employed and employee workers' commuting time in Latin American countries. By analyzing differences in commuting time between these two groups of Latin American workers, our analysis may serve to guide future planning programs. |
| Keywords: | commuting time,self-employment,Latin America,ECAF data |
| JEL: | R40 O57 |
| Date: | 2022 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:zbw:glodps:1179&r= |
| By: | Zarate Vasquez,Roman David |
| Abstract: | This paper proposes a new mechanism to explain resource misallocation in developing countries:the high commuting costs within cities that prevent workers from accessing formal employment. To test this mechanism,the paper combines a rich collection of microdata and exploits the opening of new subway lines in Mexico City. Thefindings show that transit improvements reduce informality by 7 percent in areas near the new stations. The paperdevelops a spatial model that accounts for the direct effects of infrastructure in perfectly economies andallocative efficiency. Changes in allocative efficiency driven by workers’ reallocation to the formal sector amplifythe gains by 20–25 percent. |
| Date: | 2022–03–30 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9990&r= |
| By: | Deborah Salon (Kouros); Laura Mirtich (Kouros); Matthew Wigginton Bhagat-Conway (Kouros); Adam Costello (Kouros); Ehsan Rahimi (Kouros); Abolfazl (Kouros); Mohammadian; Rishabh Singh Chauhan; Sybil Derrible; Denise da Silva Baker; Ram M. Pendyala |
| Abstract: | This study focuses on an important transport-related long-term effect of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States: an increase in telecommuting. Analyzing a nationally representative panel survey of adults, we find that 40-50% of workers expect to telecommute at least a few times per month post-pandemic, up from 24% pre-COVID. If given the option, 90-95% of those who first telecommuted during the pandemic plan to continue the practice regularly. We also find that new telecommuters are demographically similar to pre-COVID telecommuters. Both pre- and post-COVID, higher educational attainment and income, together with certain job categories, largely determine whether workers have the option to telecommute. Despite growth in telecommuting, approximately half of workers expect to remain unable to telecommute and between 2/3 and 3/4 of workers expect their post-pandemic telecommuting patterns to be unchanged from their pre-COVID patterns. This limits the contribution telecommuting can make to reducing peak hour transport demand. |
| Date: | 2022–09 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:arx:papers:2210.00067&r= |
| By: | David Milesi-Gaches (BU - Bournemouth University [Poole]) |
| Abstract: | The Covid-19 pandemic strongly impacted public transport (lockdowns, distancing measures). The relevance of pre-pandemic transport scenarios is explored by investigating how the epidemic, pandemic, or infectious (EPI) risk was addressed. This review uses a Factor Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD) to see how EPI risk and health are discussed in transport scenarios and guidance documents. Of the 110 investigated documents (scientific and grey literature), 101 address health, with only 4 addressing the EPI risk comprehensively, 7 mentioning it directly, and 37 mentioning it indirectly. The risk is exclusively addressed as a health issue despite being recognized as a global disruptor. |
| Keywords: | public transport,scenario,infectious risk,pandemic,environment,Covid-19,mobility,pandémie,épidémie,mobilité,Transport publics,Transport public de voyageurs,Transport public urbain,Transport publics urbains,ascenceur,scénarios |
| Date: | 2022–09–16 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03494239&r= |
| By: | Gorton,Nicole Emily; Ianchovichina,Elena |
| Abstract: | How do trade connectivity issues affect the efficient spatial distribution of economicactivity within and across countries in Latin America This paper uses a spatial general equilibrium framework toconstruct optimal transport networks and optimal expansions to existing networks in most Latin American countries, aswell as within MERCOSUR and the Andean Community. The paper assesses the average annual welfare losses due toinefficient domestic road networks in Latin America at 1.7 percent, ranging from 2.5 percent in Brazil to 0.2 percentin El Salvador. Spatial misallocation of transnational road networks is associated with annual welfare losses of 1.8percent in MERCOSUR and 1.6 percent in the Andean Community. Optimal investments in improvements and expansions ofexisting networks can correct these inefficiencies and reduce spatial inequality within countries. Theseinvestments correlate relatively well with World Bank road projects because both the model and the World Bankprioritize investments in high population areas. Transnational road improvements benefit the most the leastdeveloped country in each trade bloc. The results are robust to changes in data sources and model assumptions. |
| Keywords: | International Trade and Trade Rules,Transport Services,Green Issues,Roads & Highways,Inter-Urban Roads and Passenger Transport,Roads and Highways Performance,Inequality |
| Date: | 2021–11–05 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9843&r= |
| By: | Nicholas Buchholz (Princeton University); Laura Doval (Columbia University); Jakub Kastl (Princeton University); Filip Matejka (CERGE-EI); Tobias Salz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) |
| Abstract: | We recover valuations of time using detailed data from a large ride-hail platform, where drivers bid on trips and consumers choose between a set of rides with different prices and waiting times. Leveraging a consumer panel, we estimate demand as a function of both prices and waiting times and use the resulting estimates to recover heterogeneity in the value of time at the individual level. We study the welfare implications of platform pricing policies that take advantage of this heterogeneity. In particular, we compare the consumers’, drivers’, and platform’s welfare under different forms of price discrimination. Taking into account drivers’ optimal reaction to the platform’s pricing policy, total surplus falls by 6% under personalized pricing relative to the current mechanism. However, total surplus grows by 33% compared to the case in which the platform does not incorporate consumer information into its pricing. |
| Keywords: | Value of time, demand in transportation markets, ride hail |
| JEL: | C73 D83 L90 R12 |
| Date: | 2022–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pri:econom:2022-22&r= |
| By: | Alder,Simon; Croke,Kevin; Duhaut,Alice; Marty,Robert Andrew; Vaisey,Ariana Brynn |
| Abstract: | This paper studies the impacts of the large-scale Road Sector Development Program in Ethiopiabetween 1997 and 2016 on local economic activity and land cover (urbanization and cropland). It exploits spatial andtemporal variation in road upgrades across Ethiopia, together with high-resolution panel data derived fromsatellite imagery. The findings show that road upgrades contributed to increases in local economic activity, asproxied by nighttime lights and urban land area. However, there is significant heterogeneity in the results acrossbaseline levels of economic activity. Specifically, gains from road upgrades are concentrated in areas withmoderate-to-high initial levels of economic activity. By contrast, there was little, or even negative, growth inareas with low levels of initial economic activity. Finally, the findings show that road upgrades contributed to areduction in cropland in areas with medium-to-high baseline nighttime lights. The results suggest that Ethiopia'sambitious road infrastructure development program overall increased local economic activity and urbanization, but thatit also had important distributional implications that need to be taken into account when planning such infrastructure programs. |
| Date: | 2022–04–06 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10000&r= |
| By: | Lebrand,Mathilde Sylvie Maria; Theophile,Ewane |
| Abstract: | As income increases, people become more mobile and spend more on carbon-intensive transportgoods and services. This paper estimates income elasticities of transport consumption using household survey data for 18countries, which are then used to simulate transport carbon footprint and carbon inequality by 2035. It first shows thatin low- and middle-income countries (i) many households mostly walk and do not use transport services, (ii) incomeelasticity of private transport expenditure is high, and (iii) many households do not own a car. Both results suggesta future steep growth of emissions as incomes expand. Using estimates of income elasticities of vehicle ownership andvehicle use, the paper shows that carbon footprint will increase on average by 52 percent for these countries asincomes reach their 2035 levels. Finally, it decomposes carbon dioxide emissions along the within-country incomedistribution. Car ownership and carbon dioxide emissions are highly concentrated at the top. By 2035, carbon inequalitywill increase in some countries but decrease in others. Such results can be used for modeling future distributionalimplications of climate and energy policies. |
| Date: | 2022–04–19 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:10010&r= |
| By: | Foster,Vivien; Rana,Anshul; Gorgulu,Nisan |
| Abstract: | Evidence of public expenditure on infrastructure is extremely sparse. Little is known aboutthe trends and patterns of infrastructure expenditure, and there is no real basis for assessing the adequacy andefficiency of infrastructure spending. Drawing on the World Bank’s novel BOOST database, this paper provides a firstrelatively disaggregated picture of infrastructure spending trends and patterns for a large sample of more than 70developing countries covering 2010–18, drilling down into expenditure by sector for roads as well as electricity, anddistinguishing operating from capital expenditure. Complementary sources of data are tapped to allow comparisonbetween expenditure patterns on and off budget. The study finds that on-budget expenditure on infrastructure has beenlow both in absolute terms (1 percent of gross domestic product) and relative terms (5 percent of total publicspending), as well as declining over time. Overall, infrastructure spending declined by about one-third over2010–18 (with the road sector bearing the brunt of the decrease), and now lies well below estimates of the requiredlevels, except in a handful of cases. There is evidence that low-income countries, despite lower spending envelopes,attach greater priority to public investment and infrastructure spending than their middle-incomecounterparts. Econometric analysis suggests that infrastructure spending in low- and middle-income countrieshas been historically procyclical, although to a lesser degree than total expenditure. In the transport sector, roadfunds are shown to play a substantial role in funding road maintenance, appearing to improve the adequacy of funding,while attenuating pronounced capital biases in road sector spending, but there is little evidence of efficiencyimprovements over time. |
| Keywords: | Transport Economics Policy & Planning,Roads & Highways,Financial Sector Policy,Energy Policies & Economics,Transport Services |
| Date: | 2022–01–14 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9903&r= |
| By: | Lebrand,Mathilde Sylvie Maria |
| Abstract: | Access to infrastructure supports economic development through structural transformation. Thispaper investigates the links between investments in electricity, Internet, and transport infrastructure, inisolation and bundled, and economic development in the Lake Chad Region. Using data on the expansion of the paved road,electricity, and Internet networks over the past two decades and two instruments, it provides reduced-form estimates ofthe impacts of infrastructure investments on the sectoral composition of employment. Bundled infrastructureinvestments cause different patterns of structural transformation than isolated infrastructure investments.Bundled paved road and electricity investments is found to have reduced the agricultural employment share by 22percentage points and increased the share of employment mostly in services. The paper then uses a spatial generalequilibrium model to quantify the impacts of future regional transport investments, bundled with a large ruralelectrification program and trade facilitation measures to reduce border delays, on economic development in Nigeria,Cameroon, and Chad. |
| Keywords: | Transport Services,Energy Policies & Economics,Construction Industry,Common Carriers Industry,Food & Beverage Industry,Business Cycles and Stabilization Policies,General Manufacturing,Plastics & Rubber Industry,Pulp & Paper Industry,Textiles, Apparel & Leather Industry,International Trade and Trade Rules,Electric Power |
| Date: | 2022–01–13 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9899&r= |
| By: | Abbasi ,Mansoureh; Lebrand,Mathilde Sylvie Maria; Mongoue,Arcady Bluette; Pongou,Roland; Zhang,Fan |
| Abstract: | Evidence for road expansion and electrification as drivers of job creation is limited andmixed, with most studies having considered either one or the other, and only in isolation. This paper estimates theaverage and heterogeneous impacts of road and electricity investments and the interaction of the two on job creationover the past two decades in 27 countries of sub-Saharan Africa. Exploiting the exogenous location of ancestralethnic homelands, a new instrumental variable is created for road accessibility, inspired by post-independenceleaders' agenda of building roads to extend authority over the entire expanse of their country, and to promotenation building. Topography and lightning strikes—a key source of damage to electric lines and disruption ofservice—are used to instrument electricity supply. The paper finds positive and significant effects on employment fromenhancing proximity to roads and to electric grids. Moreover, the interaction of the two enhances the effects,making them complementary investments. The impacts of both individual and bundled investments are positive, but withdifferences between men and women, workers of various ages, and countries at different stages of development. In urbanareas, better access to roads and electricity promotes all types of employment. In rural areas, greater access inducesa transition from low- to high-skilled occupations. These differential effects suggest that the structuraltransformation brought about by road and electricity expansion is primarily a rural phenomenon. |
| Date: | 2022–03–21 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:wbk:wbrwps:9976&r= |
| By: | Sabrina T. Howell; Yeejin Jang; Hyeik Kim; Michael S. Weisbach |
| Abstract: | Infrastructure assets have undergone substantial privatization in recent decades. How do different types of owners target and manage these assets? And does the contract form—control rights (concession) vs. outright ownership (sale)—matter? We explore these questions in the context of global airports, which like other infrastructure assets have been privatized by private firms and private equity (PE) funds. Our central finding is that PE acquisitions bring marked improvements in airport performance along a rich array of dimensions such as passengers per flight, total passengers, number of routes, number of airlines, cancellations, and awards. Net income increases after PE acquisitions, which does not reflect lower costs or layoffs. In contrast, in the few cases where non-PE acquisitions bring some improvement, it appears to reflect targeting rather than operational changes. Overall, we find little evidence that privatization alone increases airport performance; instead, infrastructure funds improve performance both in privatization and subsequent acquisitions from non-PE private firms. These effects are largest when there is a competing airport nearby. Finally, we show that outright ownership rather than control rights alone is associated with the most improvement after privatization. |
| JEL: | G32 G38 H54 L32 R42 |
| Date: | 2022–10 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nbr:nberwo:30544&r= |
| By: | David Dam; Davide Melcangi; Laura Pilossoph; Aidan Toner-Rodgers |
| Abstract: | The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically changed the way Americans spend their time. One of the most enduring shifts has occurred in the workplace, with millions of employees making the switch to work from home. Even as the pandemic has waned, more than 15 percent of full-time employees remain fully remote and an additional 30 percent work in hybrid arrangements (Barrero, Bloom, and Davis). These changes have substantially reduced time spent commuting to work; in the aggregate, Americans now spend 60 million fewer hours traveling to work each day. In this post, we investigate how people spend this saved time on other activities. Using detailed data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS), we find that employed individuals allocate their saved commute time toward leisure activities and sleeping, while reducing overall work hours. |
| Keywords: | time use; COVID-19; pandemic; commuting |
| JEL: | J01 |
| Date: | 2022–10–18 |
| URL: | http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:fip:fednls:94923&r= |