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The goal of the paper is to assess the territorial development in terms of the public rail transport in conditions of the Czech Republic or, more precisely, in the south of Bohemia. The capacity utilisation of the railway line No. 190 in the direction from Ceske Budejovice to the target station of Strakonice is analysed and the suitable deployment of the set of wagons, intended to be used in providing the basic transport services in the low-populated areas, is evaluated. The paper is concerned with the current situation in utilising the capacities on the railway line No. 190 with respect to the future utilisation of the railway links that will be affected by economic factors in the form of the reduced fare for students and pensioners. To this end, the mathematical and statistical methods, which will pre-define the suitability of the choice of capacities of the set of wagons in providing the basic transport services, will be applied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies such as tax surcharges on gasoline and reductions in transit fare were examined for their potential effectiveness in conserving gasoline. Individual level preference functions to predict work-trip modal choice (auto, public transit, or car pool) were estimated through conjoint analysis using attributes such as travel cost and additional ride time. Respondents' preferences for each travel mode were computed using the modified attribute values corresponding to each policy option. The preferences were then used to forecast potential shifts to transit or car pool and the resulting gasoline savings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fare change is an effective tool for public transit demand management. An automatic fare collection system not only allows the implementation of complex fare policies, but also provides abundant data for impact analysis of fare change. This study proposes an assessment approach for analyzing the influence when substituting a flat-fare policy with a distance-based fare policy, using smart card data. The method can be used to analyze the impact of fare change on demand, riding distances, as well as price elasticity of demand at different time and distance intervals. Taking the fare change of Beijing Metro implemented in 2014 as a case study, we analyze the change of network demand at various levels, riding distances, and demand elasticity of different distances on weekdays and weekends, using the method established and the smart card data a week before and after the fare change. The policy implication of the fare change was also addressed. The results suggest that the fare change had a significant impact on overall demand, but not so much on riding distances. The greatest sensitivity to fare change is shown by weekend passengers, followed by passengers in the evening weekday peak time, while the morning weekday peak time passengers show little sensitivity. A great variety of passengers’ responses to fare change exists at station level because stations serve different types of land usage or generate trips with distinct purposes at different times. Rising fares can greatly increase revenue, and can shift trips to cycling and walking to a certain extent, but not so much as to mitigate overcrowding at morning peak times. The results are compared with those of the ex ante evaluation that used a stated preference survey, and the comparison illustrates that the price elasticity of demand extracted from the stated preference survey significantly exaggerates passengers’ responses to fare increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A model of traveller behaviour should recognise the exogenous and endogenous factors that limit the choice set of users. These factors impose constraints on the decision maker, which constraints may be considered implicitly, as soft constraints imposing thresholds on the perception of changes in attribute values, or explicitly as hard constraints. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) To present a constrained nested logit-type choice model to cope with hard constraints. This model is derived from the entropy-maximizing framework. (2) To describe a general framework to deal with (dynamic) non-linear utilities. This approach is based on Reproducing Kernel Hilbert Spaces. The resulting model allows the dynamic aspect and the constraints on the choice process to be represented simultaneously. A novel estimation procedure is introduced in which the utilities are viewed as the parameters of the proposed model instead of attribute weights as in the classical linear models. A discussion on over-specification of the proposed model is presented. This model is applied to a synthetic test problem and to a railway service choice problem in which users choose a service depending on the timetable, ticket price, travel time and seat availability (which imposes capacity constraints). Results show (1) the relevance of incorporating constraints into the choice models, (2) that the constrained models appear to be a better fit than the counterpart unconstrained choice models; and (3) the viability of the approach, in a real case study of railway services on the Madrid-Seville corridor (Spain). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated fare collection (AFC) systems have been widely implemented around the world. Their main goal is to gather revenue in a more efficient way. hi addition to this purpose, they have multiple indirect benefits to transport researchers. This rich data is obtained from daily transactions that mainly occur when a passenger boards or alights a public transit vehicle. They have some features that are investigated in recent studies. Considering volume, longitudinal nature, level of details, and accuracy of the AFC data, this data creates new opportunities for researchers to study public transit systems and travel behaviour of passengers in order to develop various applications, such as origin-destination (OD) estimation, travel pattern mining, trip purpose detection, route choice modelling, transit performance indicators, and identifying policy alternatives. This paper reviews the previous studies on the AFC data focusing on studies after 2010. It will also make suggestions for the direction future studies may wish to take. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses the transit ticketing industry and the challenges it faces to evolve current systems. Providing an overview of the key pressures facing public transport operators, the piece will investigate how single-vendor fare collection systems are increasingly problematic and how the adoption of an open standard can bring new opportunities. The paper investigates how developments in internet of things (IoT), urban mobility and increasingly 'smart cities' are forcing transit ticketing to look beyond public transport. The need to develop multi-application solutions and collaborate with adjacent ecosystems, including access control and payments, is crucial. Moreover, it will consider how host card emulation (HCE) technology will be central to effecting this change. This consumer-centric approach will facilitate consumer demand for greater functionality and ease of use, and allow public transport operators to tap into new revenue streams at low initial cost. Readers will learn how open standards are vital for the future of fare collection and the only way to truly realise the full benefits of adopting HCE in transport. The paper will discuss the OSPT Alliance's market-leading standard, CIPURSE, and its ability to both meet the challenges facing transport operators in the short term and provide scope for future developments and scalable long-term deployments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assigning passenger flows on a metro network plays an important role in passenger flow analysis that is the foundation of metro operation. Traditional transit assignment models are becoming increasingly complex and inefficient. These models may even not be valid in case of sudden changes in the timetable or disruptions in the metro system. We propose a methodology for assigning passenger flows on a metro network based on automatic fare collection (AFC) data and realized timetable. We find that the routes connecting a given origin and destination (O-D) pair are related to their observed travel times (OTTs) especially their pure travel times (PTTs) abstracted from AFC data combined with the realized timetable. A novel clustering algorithm is used to cluster trips between a given O-D pair based on PTTs/OTTs and complete the assignment. An initial application to categorical O-D pairs on the Shanghai metro system, which is one of the largest systems in the world, shows that the proposed methodology works well. Accompanying the initial application, an interesting approach is also provided for determining the theoretical maximum accuracy of the new assignment model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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We present a continuous time series on first cabin passenger fares for ocean travel from New York to the British Isles covering nearly a century of time. We discuss the conceptual and empirical difficulties of constructing such a time series, and examine the reasons for differences between the behavior of advertised fares and those based on passenger revenues. We find that while there are conceptual differences between these two measurements, as well as differences in the average values, the two generally moved in parallel, which means that the advertised fare series can serve as a reasonable proxy for movement of the revenue-based fares. We also find that advertised fares declined over time, roughly paralleling the drop in freight rates for US bulk exports, until around 1890, but thereafter increased while freight rates continued to decline. We propose several hypotheses for this divergent behavior and suggest lines of future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies last train coordination problem for metro networks, aiming to maximize the total number of passengers who can reach their destinations by metro prior to the end of operation. The concept of last boarding time is defined as the latest time that passengers can board the last trains and reach final destinations. The corresponding method for calculating last boarding time is also put forward. With automatic fare collection system data, an optimization model for coordinating last trains is proposed. The objective function optimizes the number of passengers who can reach their final destinations during the train period using departure times and headways of last trains for each line as decision variables. Afterwards, an adaptive genetic algorithm is put forward to solve this model and is applied to a case study of the Shanghai metro system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of using multipurpose smart cards in transit systems has been recently recognized by users and transit operation agencies. However, only a few studies have focused on users' perspectives when researching the use of multipurpose smart cards in transit systems. This study thus adopts the revised new product adoption model and considers the specific characteristics of transit use as a research framework to examine the effects of constructs on consumer intention to use smart cards in transit systems. The first stage of the study employs structural equation modeling (SEM). Critical attributes identified during the first-stage survey are then extracted to design the stated preference method questionnaire for the second stage. During this stage, user choice behavior is investigated and changes in the adoption rates of different payment alternatives are predicted under various scenarios. Data from two metropolitan areas are then analyzed and compared. SEM analysis results reveal that consumer use intention is significantly influenced by perceived product attribute, promotion strategy, and perceived risk. The last one is demonstrated to have an effect on perceived product attribute for consumers in terms of metropolitan difference. Initial card cost, transit fare, consumption discount, and personal information protection are further considered as critical factors that affect the possible adoption rate of smart card use in transit systems based on the analytical results obtained by the mixed logit model. The sensitivity analysis results indicate that reducing transit fare and protecting personal information significantly impact adoption rate changes of different payment alternatives. This study also offers several managerial implications and suggests future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of 1947 the first elections in fourteen years were held for state governors. Adhemar de Barros, elected in São Paulo with large support from the communists, was an old ally of Vargas who ran his own political party, the Progressive Social Party (psp), and began to compete with Vargas himself for the working-class vote. His campaign for the Government of the State of São Paulo had been based on lowering the high cost of living. He promised strict price controls on basic necessities and an intensive campaign against price rises. Therefore, when the Mayor of São Paulo announced a rise in transport fares a few months after the election of Adhemar, the hostile reaction spread through the city like wildfire. Rapid growth and the disregard of public authorities contributed to a chaotic and profoundly unequal urban landscape, where the most visible problem was the public transport system. The aim of this article is to understand the popular reaction to the rise in bus and tram fares which led to the largest urban riots in the history of the city, at that time already the largest industrial metropolis in Latin America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For decades, transportation scholars have argued for transit fares that vary by mode, distance, and/or time-of-day to reflect the marginal costs of providing transit service. This pricing strategy, they contend, would increase the efficiency and equity of transit service. Recent advances in smartcard fare collection technologies have reduced the operational obstacles to charging variable fares, yet relatively few transit agencies are doing so. Through interviews and a nationwide survey of transit professionals, this research examines why transit managers and their governing boards have been reluctant to adopt variable fare policies. We find that agencies and practitioners have little incentive to understand how the costs of transit service provision vary and that managers and policymakers tend to be loss averse—they worry more about the riders they might lose under variable pricing than those they might gain. Collectively, we find that transit agency objectives impede fare policy innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Users of transportation systems face economic decisions that involve cash flows in different points in time. In making these intertemporal choices, users tradeoff between immediate and future benefits and costs. For example, battery electric vehicles require a higher investment but offer important energy savings that may pay off. Using an appropriate discount rate, future costs are transformed into a present equivalent that can be directly compared with upfront expenses or known prices. In this paper we review different methods for measuring individual discount rates that have been used in the literature to discuss, in particular, the findings of the 'energy paradox' or undervaluation of future savings (making more difficult the adoption of energy efficient vehicles). We identify two main methods of treating discount rates in discrete choice models, namely endogenous and exogenous discounting. Exogenous discounting addresses some problems of the endogenous discounting method (attribute correlation, endogeneity, and imposition of rational evaluation of future costs), but lacks correct treatment of unobserved heterogeneity. We also review experimental elicitation of intertemporal preferences that accounts for heterogeneous discounting. In particular, we tested a modified version of a reward-over-time choice experiment that can be easily incorporated into transportation surveys. In addition, we compared the experimental discount rates with those obtained from a contingent valuation exercise. The continent valuation exercise not only provided a much higher mean for the discount rate (13.93 % was the mean experimental discount rate, whereas the contingent valuation mean was 93.9 %), but also the level of variability among respondents was unexpectedly high (6.4-267 %). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The optimal setting of public transport pricing and supply levels has been traditionally analysed with analytical models that combine the objectives of users, service providers and decision makers in optimisation problems. In this paper, public transport fare and headway are jointly optimised using an activity-based simulation framework. Unlike traditional analytical models that find single optimal values for headway, fare and other optimisation variables, we obtain a range of values for the optimal fare and headway, due to the randomness in user behaviour that is inherent to an agent-based approach. Waiting times and implications of an active bus capacity constraint are obtained on an agent-by-agent basis. The maximisation of operator profit or social welfare result in different combinations of the most likely optimal headway and fare. We show that the gap between welfare and profit optimal solutions is smaller when users can adjust their departure time according to their activities, timetabling and convenience of the public transport service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The paper concerns competition of different transportation modes coexist in intercity transportation corridor. The purpose of this paper is to express the competitive relationship by building mathematical model and obtain the best sharing rate and the optimal ticket price of different transportation modes. Design/methodology/approach: Firstly, analyzing influencing factors of passenger choice about transportation modes, we designed a utility function of transportation modes. Secondly, referring to the game theory and logit modle, a non-cooperative game model between railway and highway was built. Finally, the model was applied to Nanchang-Jiujiang transportation corridor in China for an empirical analysis. Findings: The results indicate that the proposed non-cooperative game model is rational and reliable, and it supplies a scientific method to determine the optimal ticket price and passenger sharing rate of different transportation modes, and can be applied to the competition study on different transportation modes in inter-city transportation corridor. Originality/value: The main contribution of this paper is to built the non-cooperative game model, which can consider the needs of different travelers, and achieve reasonable passenger divergence of different transportation modes and coordinated development of whole transport market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We develop a mathematical model for automatic adjustment of new transportation fares in terms of old transportation fares, the number of litres of petrol/diesel a vehicle requires, the quantum of adjustment, the number of trips a vehicle makes on a specified route and the number of passengers a vehicle carries. We recommend that any adjustment to existing fares should be exactly the loading and that any additional amount to the existing fares differing from the loading leads to either overcharging or undercharging of passengers. We also show that any negotiation about the quantum of adjustment to existing fares reduces to the proper assignment of the number of trips a vehicle plies on a specified route. We tested our models on privately operated commercial vehicles using data from major lorry stations in Accra, the National Petroleum Authority and Drivers and Vehicular License Authority in Ghana. The results indicated that passengers are undercharged on some routes whereas they are overcharged on others. The model should be useful to transportation planners, coordinators and administrators in setting and adjusting road transportation fares. It should assist in settling disputes about new transportation fares between passengers and drivers that arise when there is adjustment in fuel prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper introduces an adaptive optimization framework that is used to calibrate and optimize multiple intelligent transportation strategies such as high occupancy toll (HOT), ramp metering, and variable speed limits. The framework is capable of estimating the OD (origin–destination) matrix, calibrating the model with the experimental data, and conducting system optimization in transportation. This capability is shown with simulation experiments based on the public data of I-95 Florida. The preliminary results show that the revenue increases with target speed up to a point, after which the revenue drops. Also, the throughput on the HOT increases with decreasing target speed. So, to maximize revenue and throughput together, the optimal values are observed at moderate levels of the feasible range. Also, in the presence of accidents, the total throughput is improved by decreasing the toll rate. Optimal level of vehicles on the HOT lanes is examined to minimize vehicle emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper presents a methodology to identify the demand for public passenger transportation in rural areas and the results of its application in a Municipality of Colombia. This methodology is summarized in the analysis of the Land Management Plan and studies of mobility and transportation, realization of traffic studies such as demand rotation, rising and falling passenger, journey times and delays, state of roads and vehicles. Furthermore, the transportation costs should be reviewed. In order to support the recommendations and decisions, service indicators and routing options are analyzed, and alternatives to establish the type of vehicle, frequency and fares, are offered. Some relevant results of the case studied are the deficit in the service frequency in formal transportation what makes the users prefer informal transportation, this unsatisfied demand is approximately 15% of the total demand, there is the need to change some vehicles (by capacity) used for providing the service. At the end, the paper presents recommendations for the transportation service improvement and optimization in the rural municipality under study.

To solve the unbalance of travel time demand of urban public transport, this paper constructed model of temporal differentiation fare and flow distribution in multimodal different times composite network. The upper model was an optimal social welfare and the lower model described multimodal different times composite network with elastic demand by unnecessary travel coefficient. It solved the overall model using genetic algorithm and solved the lower model by diagonalization algorithm combined with the MSA algorithm. Finally it gave a simple numeral example. The results indicate that the social welfare objective function of temporal differentiation fare program is 37.1 higher. And the program of increasing fare in the peak level while reducing fare in the flat peak have a more obvious effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Built upon the previous studies, this paper incorporates both bilateral taxi-customer search frictions and congestion externalities into the economic analyses of the equilibrium properties of taxi markets. We take account of congestion externalities by adopting a realistic distance-based and delay-based taxi fare structure. We first investigate comparative static effects of regulatory variables of taxi fare and fleet size on the market and then examine the properties of the Pareto-efficient solutions for simultaneous maximization of social welfare and taxi profit in the congested market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, automated fare collection (AFC) systems using smart card technology have become the main method for collecting urban rail transit (URT) fares in many cities around the world. Transaction data obtained through these AFC systems contain a large amount of archived information including how passengers use the URT system, and thus can be used in calibrating assignment models for precise passenger flow calculation. We present a methodology for calibrating URT assignment models using AFC data. The calibration approach uses a genetic algorithm-based framework with nonparametric statistical techniques. Three initial numerical tests show that the proposed approach finds more reasonable solutions than traditional approaches for the calibrated parameters. Furthermore, after calibration by the proposed approach, the existing assignment model delivers more accurate calculations of passenger flows in the network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the constant expansion of metro network scale, the existing metro automatic fare collection system encounters severe challenges including, but not limited to, high construction cost, low resource utilization rates and complicated maintenance. To solve these problems, this paper designed an absolutely new metro automatic fare collection system(CAFC system) based on cloud computing technology. Firstly, it established the system framework, cloud architecture, physical topology and software system construction. Compared to the existing one, owing to its much more simple architecture, the new CAFC system performed excellently on the aspects of decreasing its capacity and lowering its investment. Then, it analyzed the logic processes of all the business among certain hierarchy, as well as between system and the users, system and its external interfaces. Finally, it proposed a security solution program concerning firewall, intrusion detection system, data backup and PKI. Besides the traditional function like fare collection automatically and ticketing management, the new CAFC system greatly lowers the investment cost and increases resource utilization rates simultaneously. It could be believed that the new CAFC system has significant meaning to low-carbon operation of metro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have collected information on 46 bus rapid transit (BRT) systems throughout the world to investigate the potential patronage drivers. From a large number of candidate explanatory variables (quantitative and qualitative), 11 sources of systematic variation are identified which have a statistically significant impact on daily passenger-trip numbers. These sources are fare, headway, the length of the BRT network, the number of corridors, average distance between stations; whether there is: an integrated network of routes and corridors, modal integration at BRT stations, pre-board fare collection and fare verification, quality control oversight from an independent agency, at-level boarding and alighting, as well as the location of BRT. The findings of this paper offer important insights into features of BRT systems that are positive contributors to growing patronage and hence should be taken into account in designing and planning BRT systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concern of the 'Environmental and Social Taxes' component of the Tax Forum was on issues of political feasibility rather than the efficiency arguments for making various reforms. This paper follows this approach by focusing on road pricing reforms - particularly congestion pricing. Congestion, road damage and traffic accidents are important sources of external road use costs in Australia. A major concern is gaining public acceptance for and then, on this basis, implementing such reforms. Many criticisms of road pricing and other social tax reforms that were made at the Forum seemed unaware of the substantial work that exists on these issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the establishment of a flat rate for the taxicab service that serves routes between the city and the airport in Seville. First, the advantages and disadvantages of a flat rate are explained and why it may be an advisable measure for tourist cities with a conflictive taxicab industry. In addition, by using a methodology based on the estimation of average treatment effects, an evaluation is made of the impact of the taxi flat rate on the probability of passengers choosing a taxi for their city–airport transport needs. The main conclusion is that the increased market transparency fostered by this urban transport policy has led to an increase of almost 7 per cent in both the probability of selection and the average revenues of taxi-drivers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Measuring and understanding the transport expenditure patterns of households and individuals is critically important for formulating pro-poor transport policies, as well as for monitoring their effectiveness. This paper reviews evidence on transport expenditure and affordability in South Africa, focusing especially on low-income and mobility constrained persons. The results indicate that a person's location along the urban-rural continuum significantly affects both their transport expenditure levels and the perceived severity of their transport affordability problems. Public transport users in displaced urban settlements and isolated deep rural locations and medium-income car commuters in suburbs and urban townships face the highest transport expenditure and affordability problems. Disabled and elderly people were found to have similar expenditure patterns and perceptions as travellers at large. Spatially targeted interventions in both transport supply and land use policy are suggested to address transport affordability problems in South Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relative importance of six policy outcomes related to different fairness principles for the perceived fairness and acceptability of pricing policies aimed at changing transport behaviour. The fairness and acceptability of six different types of transport pricing policies were systematically higher if policy outcomes were related to environmental justice and equality. The policy measures were evaluated as more acceptable and fair when respondents believed that future generations, nature and the environment were protected (reflecting environmental justice), and to a lesser extent, when everybody was equally affected by the policy outcomes (reflecting equality), irrespective of absolute differences in fairness and acceptability of the policies. Policy outcomes reflecting egoistic concerns (e.g. being financially worse off and being worse off than others) and equity (e.g. proportional to people's income and contribution to problems) were related to the fairness and acceptability of some policy measures, but no systematic pattern was found across six policy measures. This suggests that policy outcomes related to distributions that focus on collective considerations appear to be more important for the fairness and acceptability of transport pricing policies than those focusing on individual interests. Theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper discusses the economic assessment of policies using land use/transport models. It argues that conventional forms of assessment focussing only on transport changes can underestimate the economic benefits of a policy. The paper argues that the benefits need to be measured by the changes of prices at the end of a trip and not just by the changes in travel costs. Models that do not estimate the changes of prices at the end of a trip cannot properly assess the impact of a policy. The model used in this paper is based on the MEPLAN software and estimates the location of households and employment and the interaction between them. It also estimates the cost of living for households and the production costs for employment. With these costs, it is possible to calculate the wider economic benefits beyond transport. The paper illustrates the assessment of policies for the Cambridge sub-region involving investment in public transport, orbital highway and congestion charging policies. The results forecast by the model are assessed in terms of the conventional cost-benefit using traveller’s surplus as benefits and compared with a wider assessment measure of compensation variation. It demonstrates that the last measure encompasses the wider benefits associated with transport policies which are not taken into account in conventional cost-benefit analysis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper uses time series and panel cointegration techniques to estimate the effect that fares, income, quality of service and fuel prices have on the demand for the Mexico City metro. Fares and fuel prices are not cointegrated with patronage, income or quality of service. We estimate zero own and cross price elasticities of demand suggesting either that fares are too low relative to incomes or that the vast majority of users are metro-dependent. The results also show that income elasticities are negative and close to unity in the long run while service elasticities have a positive but less than proportional effect on demand. This suggests that, in the interest of promoting sustainable mobility, quality of service will need to improve at higher rates than income. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study finds that Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) holds in the long-run for Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, based on Breitung's (2001) rank tests for cointegration. Results from further analysis indicates that nominal exchange rates and relative prices are nonlinearly interrelated. Trade barriers, transportation costs and government intervention in the pricing system in these countries may have resulted in the establishment of the above-mentioned nonlinear relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sri Lanka has an extensive Three-Wheeler Taxi service comprised of around 300,000 vehicles. These vehicles, which first made an entry to Sri Lanka’s roads in the early 1980s, account for around 15% of the active motor vehicle fleet at present. Three-Wheelers Taxis also account for around 6% of the passenger kilometres. These vehicles are mostly individually operated with some owned by the operator and others hired on a monthly or daily basis. The industry is unregulated with vehicle registration and driving licenses being the only instruments of regulation. Fares are unregulated. However, most operators belong to associations which are loose collections of operators found in a given locality. These associations impose a degree of self regulation with respect to fares. They also tend to demonstrate oligapolistic behaviour. The paper is based on a survey of 200 operators and 100 passengers from a Divisional Secretariat area in Colombo District. The survey covered a number of details pertaining to ownership, management and fare structures, as well as opinions on the service attributes by users. The survey also covered perceptions of operators to determine the social, economic and transport implications of the services provided. Details were also obtained on the profiles of the operators and their expectations. The paper provides the results of the analysis of this data and draws a number of conclusions on the economics of the industry as well as the social aspects associated with it. It also discusses the characteristics of the users of these three wheelers as well as their typical use. The analysis also investigates complementarily of service provision between three wheelers as an access mode to buses and railways. This analysis has been used to develop an understanding of the manner in which the industry has grown over the last two decades and how it is being operated today. It also identifies areas wherein the industry has become inefficient and assesses the degree of over pricing that exists due to this. The data also helps to determine the relationship between unemployment and provision of self-employed transport services. The paper concludes with a synopsis of the profile of the industry and its role within the wider transport sector and with respect to ownership. It also discusses the positive and negative impacts of the lack of regulation on the industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This article presents a summary of the analyses and set of recommendations given by a committee of transit specialists gathered by the Minister of Transport of Chile aiming at improving Transantiago, the new transit system recently inaugurated for Santiago. This summary focuses on those recommendations directed towards improving the efficiency, service quality and sustainability of mass public transportation systems in major cities in the developing world and that could be implemented in a short term (within two years). Three broad dimensions of public transit are considered: competition and regulation; investment, financing, fares and subsidies; and the operation and use of infrastructure, design, inspection and control. Although the study grew out of the needs and characteristics of a city such as Santiago (Chile), and of the virtues and deficiencies of Transantiago, much of the analyses and recommendations could be adopted and implemented in the major cities of developed countries in Europe, North America and Asia. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper evaluates the policy of Swedish public transport authorities, determining whether the number of trips on local public transport could have been increased without increasing subsidies. Based on annual data from Swedish counties, the evaluation found that between 1986 and 2001 public transport fares exceeded the passenger-maximising fare most of the time in all but two counties, the average deviation being 1–215%. Evaluating the alternative, passenger-maximising policy, including both fare and service changes for 2001, demonstrated that demand for local public transport in Swedish counties could have been increased by 0–178% without increasing subsidies. Aggregated, this represents a 2.3% increase in the number of trips on local public transport in Sweden. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using a sample of fare quotes for non-stop travel from New York to London, this paper documents a set of stylized facts about pricing strategies of air carriers on this route. Two key facts stand out. First, airlines appear to employ strikingly different pricing strategies. Second, fares increase at an accelerated rate as the departure date approaches. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study on cost as one of the fundamental barrier in achieving a millenium development goal (MDG) in Lagos, Nigeria. The findings of the study reveals on transportation costs and school meals as the cause of the financial burden of parents. Parents are being recommended to send their children to schools within a walking distance to be able to achieve the goal of MDG of eradicating poverty through education.

Forestry and forest industries are transport-intensive sectors. In Norway, the forest sector (forestry and forest industries) represents less than 1% of gross domestic product, but 14% of the total road transport work. Road transport represents 19% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in Norway. This article is an analysis of the economic and GHG emission impacts of the following three transport policy scenarios targeting the forest sector in Norway: (1) increased fuel prices, (2) increased allowable total weight for log trucks, and (3) accelerated infrastructure development. Three different models were combined in the analyses: a national full equilibrium model, a national transport logistics model and a regionalized partial equilibrium forest sector model. The results showed that increased maximum total weight had a greater economic impact on transport costs for roundwood than for forest industry products. Elimination of bottlenecks, such as bridges with limited allowable weight, is needed if the full potential of increased total weight is to be utilized. General infrastructure measures in the main road network had greater economic impacts on forest industries than on forestry. The short-run regional effects of changes in transport costs on production and trade-flows were, however limited, mostly in the range of 1-2%. Increased total weight brought increased emissions of GHGs, owing to transfer from rail to road, whereas accelerated infrastructure investment and increased fuel prices yielded reduced emissions, although the effects were relatively small, in the range of 0.5-1%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the problem of the simultaneous design of a distribution network with central treatment facilities, transfer stations and landfills, and the coordination of waste flows within this network for a long-term planning horizon. We apply these concepts in a research project for the development of a solid waste management system for a specific region in Greece. We then formulate a dynamic mixed integer programming model that minimizes the sum of costs for opening facilities and variable transportation costs related to solid waste flows. Finally, we analyze the results of the model and evaluate the various technologies that may be implemented in the treatment facilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper addresses the problem of transport costs and their influence on food prices for South American imports. While transport does not seem to be in the focus of existing analyses, its impact on food prices might be underestimated and even closely linked to the development of commonly mentioned drivers of food prices. Since transport price formation is a function of demand and supply, drivers of food prices are also expected to impact on transport prices. The authors argue that a number of relevant factors that drive transport costs – and in consequence food prices – can be influenced by policy makers. Based on empirical analysis, the authors explain the functioning of the determinants of transport costs in the segment of international shipping, trying to describe their exogenous and endogenous components. These results are discussed in reference to policy development in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study develops a just-in-time (JIT) single-buyer single-supplier integrated deteriorating model with multiple deliveries considering the costs and benefits of implementing JIT delivery. Distinct from the former concept of average inventory level, our paper proposes a different approach to deal with the first production batch and uses an alternative method to approximate the relationship between the supplier's production time and the storage time. Moreover, our model develops analytical equations and proposes an algorithm to derive a near optimal solution for the integrated production inventory deteriorating model. A numerical example is also presented. The result shows that the supplier's set-up cost, the buyer's ordering cost and the transportation cost are three of the critical factors affecting the integrated deteriorating inventory model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, it is shown that integrated tariffs can be used to extract the consumer’s surplus when there are a lot of connections supplied so that the law of large numbers applies in the estimation of the consumer’s willingness to pay. The time validity limitations of tickets are explained by a nonlinear pricing approach. Links between optimal pricing in local public transport and network characteristics are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]