Employer attitudes to employer transport plans: a comparison of UK and Dutch experience

Employer transport plans (ETPs) are implemented by employers to encourage their employees to choose environmentally friendly modes of transport to work. They have been a part of Netherlands’ transport policy since 1989 and now form an important plank of government transport thinking in the UK as well. This paper uses data from questionnaire surveys, focus groups, interviews and site visits to assess employers' attitudes to ETPs and to the role which government is asking them to play in transport policy. It concludes that employers in both countries are somewhat sceptical and that government resources should be focused on assisting those employers with site-specific transport problems to implement ETPs.     

A conceptual business model framework applied to air transport

The adoption of business models in different sectors has been disseminated exponentially as a result of organizational strategies, allowing the identification and definition of paths to be followed, and enhancing capture and value creation for consumers and the enterprise. In the case of the air transport sector, specifically the airlines, the proposition of new business models can contribute to creating competitive advantage. This study develops a conceptual business model framework applied to air transport, which prioritizes key components identified in the literature for designing business models for airlines. With the exploration of different aspects of business models and the identification of the main models used by airlines, the results demonstrate the need for the adoption of new models in this sector.     

关于铁路货物运价改革的思考

针对目前铁路货物运价管理缺乏灵活性、计费繁杂及货物品类规定过细等问题,提出铁路货物运价进行改革的设想,主要是完善国家定价范围;扩大铁道部的定价权限;给予铁路企业法人一定的运价浮动权等,并建立健全铁路运价的约束机制和宏观调控机制。     

Vienna's path to sustainable transport

Vienna, Austria reduced the car share of trips by a third between 1993 and 2014: from 40% to 27%. The key to Vienna's success has been a coordinated package of mutually reinforcing transport and land-use policies that have made car use slower, less convenient, and more costly, while improving conditions for walking, cycling, and public transport. During 32 in-person interviews in Vienna in May 2015, a wide range of politicians, transport planners, and academics almost unanimously identified the expansion of the U-Bahn (metro) and parking management as the most important policies accounting for the reduction in car mode share since 1993. Implementation of sustainable transport policies in Vienna has been a long-term, multi-staged process requiring compromises, political deals, and coalition-building among political parties and groups of stakeholders. This consensual approach to policy development has been time-consuming. Vienna has not been the first city to introduce any particular policy, but it has masterfully adopted successful policies from other cities. The continuity of social democratic governments in Vienna since 1945 has provided a crucial political basis for long-term implementation. The Greens have vigorously pushed for accelerating implementation of sustainable transport policies since becoming part of the ruling coalition government in 2010. The progressive political environment in Vienna has been essential to its increasingly sustainable transport system. Other major cities in Western Europe have also reduced the share of trips by car since 1990. Together with Vienna, they provide useful lessons for other cities throughout the world on how to reduce car dependence.     

建立铁路公益性运输补偿机制的探讨

铁路公益性运输超越了企业的职能范围,企业应当得到国家补偿。为此,建议按照依法、据实补偿原则,以税收抵扣方式进行补偿,以利于铁路运输企业的积累和发展。     

Policy integration: What will it take to achieve more sustainable transport solutions in cities?

There has been a rhetorical shift in paradigm from predict and provide for road transport to one which addresses sustainable mobilities. This paper explores the organizational and institutional issues of policy integration and the implementation mechanisms which could bring about a sustainable transport system predicated on the reduction of CO₂ emissions and non-renewable resource use and which produces more socially equitable outcomes. The paper first outlines the English policy context in terms of responsibilities, powers and resources available to local transport planners, and identifies the tools of government that can be more efficiently applied to effect a more sustainable transport system which specifically reduces CO₂ emissions. A snapshot of transport decision-making in five local transport authorities in England is presented, using a case study methodology, which explores the joint working practices of practitioners in five public policy sectors that influence accessibility patterns. The case study highlights the norms and values of the local public administrators who affect local transport mobility and how they in turn are hindered both by the rigidity of central government direction and an insufficiency of implementation tools.     

铁路运输企业会计制度与税法的协调

财政部于2000年年底颁发的《企业会计制度》将于2005年在国有企业全面执行。通过比较企业会计制度与企业所得税税收法规，说明新的会计标准与税收标准对企业所得税的现金流产生的影响，并就铁路运输企业执行企业会计制度与税法的协调提出具体意见。     

Sustainability in Canadian B&Bs: comparing the east versus west

Although bed and breakfasts (B&Bs) represent a small part of the overall accommodation sector, they can contribute to both the positive and negative impacts of the industry. Through a questionnaire of Canada's east and west coastal B&Bs, findings indicate that financial reasons are the biggest barrier to implementing environmental practices and government incentives and tax rebates may help the uptake of environmental measures. Results from this study can be used to motivate improvements for environmental commitment in this form of accommodation such as cost savings and strengthened lines of communication. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Verkehrsverbund: the success of regional public transport in Germany, Austria and Switzerland

The Verkehrsverbund system of public transport organization offers a practical solution to the problem of providing integrated regional public transport service for the increasingly suburbanized metropolitan areas of Europe and North America. By carefully coordinating fares and services for all routes, all types of public transport, and all parts of the metropolitan region, Verkehrsverbund systems in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland have greatly improved the quality of the public transport alternative to the automobile. Five Verbund systems were chosen for detailed analysis: Hamburg, Munich, the Rhein-Ruhr region, Vienna and Zurich. This article documents the success of each Verbund in attracting more public transport riders and, in most cases, increasing or at least stabilizing public transport's share of modal split. It also analyzes the reasons for the success of the Verkehrsverbund, including service expansion, improvement in service quality, more attractive fares, and extensive marketing campaigns. The five case study systems offer lessons for other public transport systems facing similar challenges of dealing with increasing auto ownership and suburbanization. The article concludes with an analysis of the most challenging problem of all: public transport finance. As shown dramatically by the five case studies, the service improvements and fare structures needed for truly effective regional public transport require substantial government subsidy. Fiscal austerity at every government level is leading to subsidy cutbacks in most countries of Europe and North America. The five case study systems examined in this article provide lessons on how to deal most effectively with limited subsidy funds in order to minimize service deterioration, fare increases and ridership losses.     

Public transport and car-sharing—benefits and effects of combined services

The article presents the results of a German research project, where recommendations for the synthesis of public transport and car-sharing/car clubs are given. In order to determine effects and factors of success of combined services, the adoption process, the mobility behaviour and customer satisfaction were investigated within the context of model projects in two German cities. The results prove that car-sharing is suitable as a supplement to public transport.     

An economic–geographic assessment of the potential for a new air transport hub in post-Gaddafi Libya

Post-war Libya is faced with the challenge of adopting an air transport strategy for the future. One issue is how to address projects inaugurated under the Gaddafi government, such as the terminal extension at Tripoli International Airport. Additionally, the state-owned Afriqiyah Airlines had been establishing a niche hub in Tripoli before the 2011 war, but this development has subsequently been stalled.Against this background, we analyse the prospects of an air transport hub operation in Libya, focusing on traffic between Africa and Europe, from a bird’s-eye economic–geographic view. First, a literature review is undertaken to identify general success factors for air transport hubs. Second, a weighted average distance penalty (WADP) indicator is developed and applied to Tripoli as a potential hub location. This indicator considers all 4755 O&Ds between Europe and Africa with more than 100 passengers in 2012. For sensitivity reasons, alternative WADPs are estimated for the 3209 traffic flows not including North Africa and for (forecasted) future air traffic demand in 2020. The results for Tripoli International Airport are benchmarked against competing hub locations, such as Algiers, Cairo, and the major European airports. We conclude by discussing the implications of the current and anticipated future security and economic situation in the country.     

The rise and fall of Public-Private Partnerships in China: a path-dependent approach

Due to growing traffic demand, enormous investment requirements and high fiscal pressures, China has witnessed a reshaping of financing policies in large transport infrastructure projects from public financing to Public-Private Partnerships. As a result, the provision of transport infrastructure services in China has been steadily moving from the realm of government to that of private sector. In the same period, governments at the central and regional levels were actively engaged in this institutional transition by devising corresponding policies and enacting new laws and regulations. However, in late 2009 it became clear to the authors of this article that there has been a tendency of rolling back private participation in transport infrastructure and service because of various forms of opportunistic behavior on the part of some private players and malpractices among some governmental officials in their interaction with private players, and in relatively recent a number of large transport projects have been granted to state-owned enterprises. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to analyze and explain the processes of rise and fall of Public-Private Partnership in China. We argue that the adoption of Public-Private Partnership in China is a path-dependent process rather than some economic optimum advocated by a variety of international organizations. Specifics of wider Chinese political, cultural and institutional context are recognized as important factors that influence the performance of Public-Private Partnership. Effects of decisions made under transitory conditions can persist long after those conditions have vanished. In addition, these historical legacies are important in understanding contemporary use of Public-Private Partnership in China, and they are also the origins from which the sub-optimal statuses are often led.     

The interplay of formal and informal institutions between local and regional authorities when creating well-functioning public transport systems

This paper analyzes how public transport planning is managed in institutional contexts where governance is spread across local and regional scales. The paper sheds light on two facets of the relationship between local and regional government: first, the decision-making process regarding where to provide public transport services and at what level, and second, integration of public transport with land use planning. An analytical matrix is used to cross-reference the roles of formal institutions (governance established in law) and informal institutions (governance not established in law) against local and regional responsibilities for public transport and land use. Analysis of the interplay between these three axes (formal/informal, local/regional, public transport/land use) reveals how informal institutions help regional and local authorities to negotiate the constraints of formal, statutory institutions and help to “oil the wheels” of delivering measures and policies that make public transport work as a well-functioning system. However, informal institutions clearly have their limits, in the paper exemplified by the remaining challenges to integrate regional public transport and local land use planning. An identified challenge is that, by their very nature, informal institutions are difficult to influence or modify, therefore relying on them to fill gaps in formal institutional responsibilities may be a risky strategy when unpopular decisions are made.     

Integrated transport planning in the UK: From concept to reality

This paper explores the need for new planning authority practices and structures that can accommodate new policy demands, synergies and approaches to urban management in the UK. Initially it considers recent UK government ideas on the integration of transport and land use planning, exploring how the concept has been located carefully in relation to both established and emerging debates about, for example, sustainability, mobility and structures of governance. The paper then moves on to consider the relationship between these concepts in EU transport discourse taking an example from Sweden of what an integrated urban transport policy might look like on the ground. The final section develops a model of integration and applies this analytic construct to assess integration practices and outcomes of urban mobility management at the local authority level in England. The research uncovers implementation failures including duplication of procedures, failures in communication and the lack of clear and resourced responsibilities.     

Analysis of greenhouse gas emissions of freight transport sector in China

Due to the increasing commercial activities in China, the rapid growth of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the freight transport sector has alarmed the Chinese central government. However, there is a lack of standard measure for evaluating GHG emissions generated from freight transport operations. To improve this situation, Chinese policy makers need to evaluate GHG emissions for energy saving and pollution reduction. This background leads us to examine the GHG emission trajectories and features of Chinese freight transport patterns in the last decade, i.e. between 2000 and 2011. In this study, we examine different regions’ freight turnover and energy consumption by various transport modes (i.e. railway, highway, waterway, aircraft, and oil pipeline) in China. Our results show that the total amount of GHG emissions caused by the Chinese freight transport sector reached 978 million tons in 2011, indicating an average annual growth of 74 million tons CO₂e for the last decade. Shandong, Anhui, and Henan are the main provinces producing GHG emissions, representing 11.7%, 10.3%, and 10% of total emissions generated from the freight transport sector in China, respectively. This study also compares the regional GHG emissions from different freight transport modes including railway, highway, waterway, air transport, and oil pipeline. Based on the findings, policy implications are provided on how to mitigate freight transport emissions among different Chinese regions.     

Government support to airlines in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic

This paper assesses government support measures to the air transport sector following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic from two points of view. First, it explores the factors that shape governments’ willingness to support airlines. This is followed by a discussion on the various types of support that may be provided and how country-specific parameters influence the choice of measures. Second, it analyses the implications of government support in three dimensions relevant to air transport policy: competition and liberalisation, airline ownership and control, and environmental sustainability. The analysis suggests that most governments give a high priority to maintaining air transport connectivity in order to protect economic activity and jobs, in aviation itself and in related sectors such as tourism. The trade-off between ensuring connectivity and maintaining competition after the COVID-19 pandemic is a challenge with several political and economic dimensions. The re-orientation of public policy in the aftermath of the pandemic may limit the relative importance of the policy priorities that shaped the evolution of the air transport sector before the crisis, especially those related to climate change and the environment. The role of government and public authorities at all levels – especially the type and duration of measures affecting transport operations – will be crucial for the future development of the aviation industry.     

铁路货运价格策略研究

运价是客户选择运输方式的重要因素。铁路货物运价存在着运价政策、运价管理机制与市场脱节等问题。应用铁路货运价格理论,借鉴美国铁路运价策略,提出我国铁路货运价格应实施以国家统一运价为基础,运输企业根据市场供求关系,掌握一定的运价浮动权,并实行多种形式的运输价格等策略。     

本世纪初铁路运输财务体制改革宏观背景和动因的回顾

分析以铁路运输收入清算办法为核心的铁路运输财务体制改革的背景和动因，认为铁路运输财务体制改革既有宏观的、来自中央要求的大背景，铁路内部对改革要求的不断深化也是重要的推动力量。     

What the newcomers to transit-oriented development are confronted with? Evidence from Iranian policy and planning

Today, the American model of Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) has gained widespread adoption around the world. Together with pioneer cities in the U.S., Japan, Singapore, and other European countries, there are newcomers to TOD, mainly from the cities located in the developing countries with rapid urbanization and motorization trends, with the purpose of benefiting from TOD advantages in response to the apparently unsustainable traffic-caused challenges. Opportunities, challenges and prerequisites needed for TOD planning seem to have been unclear so far for such nations. Hence, the present study, aims to fill this gap through examining an analytical framework for TOD planning in the case of Iran. The recent policies on TOD also have been initiated at both national and local levels in this country. Directed content analysis of 11 call interviews with Iranian urban professionals and government officials demonstrated that, as with global experiences, adversary physical characteristics and policy background of Iranian cities tremendously preclude joint transport land-use initiatives so that the nature of urban (transport) policies and planning as well as the resulting urban form are both car-oriented. As such, there is a great deal of fundamental works that should be accomplished by the newcomers. The results showed the extent to which the conditions for TOD newcomers are similar which could provide a common framework to the future customized analysis of the individual challenges and planning prerequisites.     

Who is the main influencer on safety performance of dangerous goods air transportation in China?

The safety of dangerous goods transport by air is crucial to human and environment protection. This paper aims to identify the critical influence on dangerous goods’ safety performance in air transportation. Twenty risk factors are summarized and categorized by regulations and standards, government supervisor activities, operator activities and shipper activities. Several hypotheses are examined via structural equation modeling using a sample of online surveys in China. Results show that the operator and the government are the main influencers of safety performance in the air transport of dangerous goods. The total process safety is emphasized. The findings facilitate the prevention of accidents and unsafe incidents when transporting dangerous goods via air.