IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/retrec/v48y2014icp221-226.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

A strategy for increased public transport usage – The effects of implementing a welfare maximizing policy

Author

Listed:
  • Holmgren, Johan

Abstract

For a long time public transport has experienced a struggle against rising costs and increasing car ownership. So far, public transport appears to be on the losing side in terms of market shares. The aim if this paper is to investigate if a different policy could result in higher public transport usage and improved social welfare. In order to achieve this, a model, explaining public transport usage, public transport supply and costs, is estimated. The model is then used in order to simulate the outcome of an alternative policy of social welfare maximization. It is found that the current policy of the Swedish transport is not efficient in terms of maximizing welfare. In 2011, public transport fares should have been lower in 20 of 21 counties and the supply of vehicle kilometres should have been higher in 17 of 21 counties. Implementing a welfare maximizing policy would have increased the number of trips per capita by 17.2% in 2011 and by an average of 6.7% for the period 1986–2011.

Suggested Citation

  • Holmgren, Johan, 2014. "A strategy for increased public transport usage – The effects of implementing a welfare maximizing policy," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 221-226.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:retrec:v:48:y:2014:i:c:p:221-226
    DOI: 10.1016/j.retrec.2014.09.046
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0739885914000870
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.retrec.2014.09.046?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Mohring, Herbert, 1972. "Optimization and Scale Economies in Urban Bus Transportation," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 62(4), pages 591-604, September.
    2. Joyce M. Dargay & Mark Hanly, 2002. "The Demand for Local Bus Services in England," Journal of Transport Economics and Policy, University of Bath, vol. 36(1), pages 73-91, January.
    3. Sergio Jara-Díaz & Antonio Gschwender, 2003. "Towards a general microeconomic model for the operation of public transport," Transport Reviews, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(4), pages 453-469, July.
    4. Holmgren, Johan, 2007. "Meta-analysis of public transport demand," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 41(10), pages 1021-1035, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Hiroaki Nishiuchi & Yasuyuki Kobayashi & Tomoyuki Todoroki & Tomoya Kawasaki, 2018. "Impact analysis of reductions in tram services in rural areas in Japan using smart card data," Public Transport, Springer, vol. 10(2), pages 291-309, August.
    2. Artur I. Petrov & Daria A. Petrova, 2020. "Sustainability of Transport System of Large Russian City in the Period of COVID-19: Methods and Results of Assessment," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(18), pages 1-17, September.
    3. Konečný Vladimír & Brídziková Mária, 2020. "The Impact of the State of Emergency on the Supply of Services and Passenger Demand for Public Transport," LOGI – Scientific Journal on Transport and Logistics, Sciendo, vol. 11(2), pages 56-67, November.
    4. Hansson, Lisa & Holmgren, Johan, 2018. "Cost effect of reorganising – A study of special transport services," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 69(C), pages 453-459.
    5. Holmgren, Johan, 2020. "The effect of public transport quality on car ownership – A source of wider benefits?," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 83(C).
    6. Vladimír Konečný & Mária Brídziková & Šimon Senko, 2021. "Impact of COVID-19 and Anti-Pandemic Measures on the Sustainability of Demand in Suburban Bus Transport. The Case of the Slovak Republic," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(9), pages 1-29, April.
    7. Nerhagen, Lena & Brandt, Daniel & Mortazavi, Reza, 2023. "Use of public transport as a means to reach national climate objectives - On the importance of accounting for spatial differences and costs," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 56-65.
    8. Yi Fan & Ho Pin Teo & Wayne X. Wan, 2021. "Public transport, noise complaints, and housing: Evidence from sentiment analysis in Singapore," Journal of Regional Science, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 61(3), pages 570-596, June.
    9. Vanessa Stjernborg & Ola Mattisson, 2016. "The Role of Public Transport in Society—A Case Study of General Policy Documents in Sweden," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(11), pages 1-16, November.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Holmgren, Johan & Jansson, Jan Owen & Ljungberg, Anders, 2008. "Public transport in towns - Inevitably on the decline?," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 65-74, January.
    2. Gwilliam, Ken, 2008. "A review of issues in transit economics," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 23(1), pages 4-22, January.
    3. Hörcher, Daniel & Tirachini, Alejandro, 2021. "A review of public transport economics," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 25(C).
    4. Abe, Ryosuke & Kato, Hironori, 2017. "What led to the establishment of a rail-oriented city? Determinants of urban rail supply in Tokyo, Japan, 1950–2010," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 72-79.
    5. Börjesson, Maria & Fung, Chau Man & Proost, Stef & Yan, Zifei, 2018. "Do buses hinder cyclists or is it the other way around? Optimal bus fares, bus stops and cycling tolls," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 326-346.
    6. Tirachini, Alejandro & Sun, Lijun & Erath, Alexander & Chakirov, Artem, 2016. "Valuation of sitting and standing in metro trains using revealed preferences," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 47(C), pages 94-104.
    7. Vigren, Andreas & Pyddoke, Roger, 2020. "The impact on bus ridership of passenger incentive contracts in public transport," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 144-159.
    8. Souche, Stéphanie, 2009. "Un exemple d’estimation de la demande de transport urbain," Revue d'économie régionale et urbaine, Editions NecPlus, vol. 2009(04), pages 759-779, December.
    9. Davis, Lucas W., 2021. "Estimating the price elasticity of demand for subways: Evidence from Mexico," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 87(C).
    10. Moccia, Luigi & Laporte, Gilbert, 2016. "Improved models for technology choice in a transit corridor with fixed demand," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 245-270.
    11. De Borger, Bruno & Proost, Stef, 2015. "The political economy of public transport pricing and supply decisions," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 4(1), pages 95-109.
    12. Sun, Yanshuo & Guo, Qianwen & Schonfeld, Paul & Li, Zhongfei, 2016. "Implications of the cost of public funds in public transit subsidization and regulation," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 236-250.
    13. Hörcher, Daniel & De Borger, Bruno & Graham, Daniel J., 2023. "Subsidised transport services in a fiscal federation: Why local governments may be against decentralised service provision," Economics of Transportation, Elsevier, vol. 34(C).
    14. Basso, Leonardo J. & Jara-Díaz, Sergio R., 2012. "Integrating congestion pricing, transit subsidies and mode choice," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 46(6), pages 890-900.
    15. Hörcher, Daniel & Graham, Daniel J., 2018. "Demand imbalances and multi-period public transport supply," Transportation Research Part B: Methodological, Elsevier, vol. 108(C), pages 106-126.
    16. Souche, Stéphanie, 2010. "Measuring the structural determinants of urban travel demand," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(3), pages 127-134, May.
    17. De Borger, Bruno & Proost, Stef, 2022. "Covid-19 and optimal urban transport policy," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 20-42.
    18. Haywood, Luke & Koning, Martin, 2015. "The distribution of crowding costs in public transport: New evidence from Paris," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 77(C), pages 182-201.
    19. Xuto, Praj & Anderson, Richard J. & Graham, Daniel J. & Hörcher, Daniel, 2021. "Optimal infrastructure reinvestment in urban rail systems: A dynamic supply optimisation approach," Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice, Elsevier, vol. 147(C), pages 251-268.
    20. Høyem, Harald & Odeck, James, 2020. "Optimal public transit frequency under stochastic demand and fixed vehicle size: Application in the Norwegian car ferry sector," Research in Transportation Economics, Elsevier, vol. 82(C).

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:retrec:v:48:y:2014:i:c:p:221-226. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/620614/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.