Vol 2 No 1 (2002)
Vol 2 No 1 (2002)
Articles
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In this paper, we explore how government policies in the field of transport may affect future freight rates, transit times, and delivery reliability. In particular, attention is paid to the ‘absorptive capacity’ of freight carriers, i.e. the extent to which they can reduce the effects of such policies by adapting their operations. Two policy scenarios are examined: one in which marginal social cost pricing becomes policy in the European Union, and one in which investment in infrastructure networks is insufficient to accommodate the future increase in traffic demand, inducing a strong increase in congestion. Six modes of transportation are included in the analysis, namely road haulage, rail transport, inland navigation, short sea shipping, airfreight, and deep sea container shipping. The study relied on experts’ opinions and estimations, which were collected by means of a Delphi survey. The expectation is that notably road transport will face difficulties in coping with the two scenarios. Its absorptive capacity proves to be the lowest, which deteriorates its competitive position vis-à-vis other modes. Yet, a weakened competitive position of road haulage is also expected autonomously.
In this paper, we explore how government policies in the field of transport may affect future freight rates, transit times, and delivery reliability. In particular, attention is paid to the ‘absorptive capacity’ of freight carriers, i.e. the extent to which they can reduce the effects of such policies by adapting their operations. Two policy scenarios are examined: one in which marginal social cost pricing becomes policy in the European Union, and one in which investment in infrastructure networks is insufficient to accommodate the future increase in traffic demand, inducing a strong increase in congestion. Six modes of transportation are included in the analysis, namely road haulage, rail transport, inland navigation, short sea shipping, airfreight, and deep sea container shipping. The study relied on experts’ opinions and estimations, which were collected by means of a Delphi survey. The expectation is that notably road transport will face difficulties in coping...
In this paper, we explore how government policies in the field of transport may affect future freight rates, transit times, and delivery reliability. In particular, attention is paid to the ‘absorptive capacity’ of freight carriers, i.e. the extent to which they can reduce the...
Hens Runhaar, Rob van der Heijden, Bart Kuipers -
Using registration plate analysis, this paper investigates 1) the proportions of ‘unique’ vehicles, 2) the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day-to-day and their individual arrival variances and 3) the numbers of locally registered vehicles among those seen during the morning commute period on three roads in Southampton. During incidents, a traffic controller would hope to divert the more familiar drivers onto less congested parts of the network using VMS and other media. Knowing the proportions of regular and unique drivers which make up the peak commuting periods would help in the timely dissemination of this traffic information. The proportions of unique vehicles varied significantly with road and time. Vehicles appearing on more than one day formed 80% of the traffic before 08:15 but only 60% between the 08:45 and 09:00 peak period during the 1996 Bassett Avenue survey. Although the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day to day varied significantly with road, their arrival variances were found to be very similar. On average, 65% of the returning vehicles re-appeared within +/- 5 minutes of their previous day’s time implying that this frequency of arrival could be part of an habitual behaviour pattern. The results suggest that for occasions where congestion can be anticipated in advance, such as prior to emergency roadworks or special events, warning messages would be most effective before 08:30 a.m. when the largest proportion of regular vehicles would be using the roads. If regular users are more familiar with the local road network than one-off ‘unique’ vehicles, and would be more likely to divert on receiving incident information relevant to their route, then later in the morning, the proportion of knowledgeable local drivers falls substantially. (Some mathematical expressions are not shown, please refer to the paper)
Using registration plate analysis, this paper investigates 1) the proportions of ‘unique’ vehicles, 2) the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day-to-day and their individual arrival variances and 3) the numbers of locally registered vehicles among those seen during the morning commute period on three roads in Southampton. During incidents, a traffic controller would hope to divert the more familiar drivers onto less congested parts of the network using VMS and other media. Knowing the proportions of regular and unique drivers which make up the peak commuting periods would help in the timely dissemination of this traffic information. The proportions of unique vehicles varied significantly with road and time. Vehicles appearing on more than one day formed 80% of the traffic before 08:15 but only 60% between the 08:45 and 09:00 peak period during the 1996 Bassett Avenue survey. Although the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day to day varied significantly with...
Using registration plate analysis, this paper investigates 1) the proportions of ‘unique’ vehicles, 2) the proportions of vehicles re-appearing from day-to-day and their individual arrival variances and 3) the numbers of locally registered vehicles among those seen during the morning...
Tom Cherrett, Mike McDonald -
To write a book with such a special subject as City Logistics is not an easy venture. But Taniguchi, Thompson, Yamada and van Duin succeeded to submit a scientifically sound report of this subject, where the main stress is centred on the modelling of city logistics. The book shows clearly, that freight transport and especially urban freight transport, which up to now is generally dealt by the road transport system, leads more and more to traffic problems in cities.
To write a book with such a special subject as City Logistics is not an easy venture. But Taniguchi, Thompson, Yamada and van Duin succeeded to submit a scientifically sound report of this subject, where the main stress is centred on the modelling of city logistics. The book shows clearly, that freight transport and especially urban freight transport, which up to now is generally dealt by the road transport system, leads more and more to traffic problems in cities.
To write a book with such a special subject as City Logistics is not an easy venture. But Taniguchi, Thompson, Yamada and van Duin succeeded to submit a scientifically sound report of this subject, where the main stress is centred on the modelling of city logistics. The book shows clearly,...
Uwe Köhler -
Transport and Environment is a collection of papers that aim at “bringing together contributions from various disciplines to the study of the broad field of ‘Transport and Environment’” (p: xiii). The focus of the book is “the search for practical solutions that can advance the sustainability notions” (p: 5), and the emphasis of the book is on “technology measures and spatial (or planning) policies” (p: 9). All this sets the context in which this book should be judged against.
Transport and Environment is a collection of papers that aim at “bringing together contributions from various disciplines to the study of the broad field of ‘Transport and Environment’” (p: xiii). The focus of the book is “the search for practical solutions that can advance the sustainability notions” (p: 5), and the emphasis of the book is on “technology measures and spatial (or planning) policies” (p: 9). All this sets the context in which this book should be judged against.
Transport and Environment is a collection of papers that aim at “bringing together contributions from various disciplines to the study of the broad field of ‘Transport and Environment’” (p: xiii). The focus of the book is “the search for practical solutions that can advance the...
Moshe Givoni -
As part of a wider rule-based model of activity behaviour, this paper explores the possibility to build a suite of linked conditional choice models to predict the amount of time spouses in a household spend on a set of activities together and alone. First, a choice model is used to predict the probability and hence the amount of time the spouses spend together and alone. Conditional on the outcome of this choice model, a second model predicts the amount of time that is spent by each spouse separately on a set of activities, as a function of sociodemographics, car availability and work status. The model is estimated using a small sample in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht and Zwijndrecht in the Netherlands. The results indicate the model to have face validity. Rho-square values are also high.
As part of a wider rule-based model of activity behaviour, this paper explores the possibility to build a suite of linked conditional choice models to predict the amount of time spouses in a household spend on a set of activities together and alone. First, a choice model is used to predict the probability and hence the amount of time the spouses spend together and alone. Conditional on the outcome of this choice model, a second model predicts the amount of time that is spent by each spouse separately on a set of activities, as a function of sociodemographics, car availability and work status. The model is estimated using a small sample in Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht and Zwijndrecht in the Netherlands. The results indicate the model to have face validity. Rho-square values are also high.
As part of a wider rule-based model of activity behaviour, this paper explores the possibility to build a suite of linked conditional choice models to predict the amount of time spouses in a household spend on a set of activities together and alone. First, a choice model is used to predict the...
Aloys Borgers, Frank Hofman, Harry Timmermans -
European Perspectives: Prospects for Transport Research under the European Sixth Framework Programme
The European Commission provides an important source of funding for research and
development in many sectors including transport. Recent analysis indicates that the European
Commission currently funds almost a quarter of all publicly financed research and
development projects in the European Union (Schelhowe, 2002). The vast majority of
European research funding comes from the EU’s research ‘framework programmes’: multiannual programmes for research, technological development and demonstration (RTD)
activities. The current framework programme, the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), sets
European research priorities for RTD activities up to 2002. Beyond 2002, a new framework
programme, the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), will set EU research priorities.
Preparations are now well underway within the European Commission for this new
framework programme, which will identify European research priorities for RTD activities up
to 2006. At the time of writing (early 2002), the European Commission is close to adopting
proposals regarding the specific programmes and the implementation of FP6. This article
examines the draft proposals for FP6 and identifies the prospects for transport research
funding from the European Commission over the next few years. Of course it is possible that
the content of the Sixth Framework Programme will not exactly match the draft proposals reported in this paper although it is most unlikely that any of the main areas of research will
change.The European Commission provides an important source of funding for research and
development in many sectors including transport. Recent analysis indicates that the European
Commission currently funds almost a quarter of all publicly financed research and
development projects in the European Union (Schelhowe, 2002). The vast majority of
European research funding comes from the EU’s research ‘framework programmes’: multiannual programmes for research, technological development and demonstration (RTD)
activities. The current framework programme, the Fifth Framework Programme (FP5), sets
European research priorities for RTD activities up to 2002. Beyond 2002, a new framework
programme, the Sixth Framework Programme (FP6), will set EU research priorities.
Preparations are now well underway within the European Commission for this new
framework programme, which will identify European research priorities for RTD activities up
to 2006. At the time of...The European Commission provides an important source of funding for research and
development in many sectors including transport. Recent analysis indicates that the European
Commission currently funds almost a quarter of all publicly financed research and
development projects in the...Dominic Stead