European Transport / Trasporti Europei (2011) 48/XVI

This paper analyses the determinants of transport costs and trade for Uruguay’s bilateral imports over a period of six years (2000-2006) and compare the analysis with its main competitors: Argentina and Brazil. The data used are disaggregated (SITC 5 digit level) maritime trade flows. With this data set, a transport costs equation and a gravity equation of trade are estimated using linear regression analysis in a panel data framework. The results allow to quantify the effect of the explanatory variables on international maritime transport costs and imports for the three countries considered and to compare the obtained elasticities with previous cross-section analysis. The main findings are twofold. First, economies of scale in transport, port infrastructure and connectivity are important determinants of transport costs. Second, transport costs are one of the most influential determinants of imports at aggregated and at disaggregated level whereas the geographical position, measured in terms of distance to trade partners, plays a residual role.

We analyse maintenance cost data for Swedish railway infrastructure in relation to traffic volumes and network characteristics, and separate the cost impact from passenger and freight trains. Lines with mixed passenger and freight traffic, and dedicated freight lines are analysed separately using both log-linear and Box-Cox regression models. We find that for mixed lines, the Box-Cox specification is preferred, while a log-linear model is chosen in the case of dedicated freight lines. The cost elasticity with respect to output is found to be higher for passenger trains than for freight trains in the case of mixed lines. The cost elasticity for freight trains on dedicated lines is higher than for freight trains on mixed lines. From a marginal cost pricing perspective, freight trains on mixed lines are currently over-charged, while passenger trains on mixed lines and freight trains on dedicated lines are under-charged.

Bus lanes have been widely implemented internationally for improving the performance and quality-ofservice of surface transit systems. Despite their importance to a city’s transit system, bus lanes are frequently violated by road users resulting in subpar service standards. Using extensive field data measurements from Athens, Greece, we analyze violation rates and study their effects on bus lane operational characteristics. Results indicate that: i. reduced perceived enforcement increases violation rates; ii. congestion in adjacent lanes significantly affects bus lane violation characteristics; and, iii. bus speeds are significantly reduced with increased violations.

Study of the basic traffic flow characteristics and comprehensive understanding of vehicular interaction are the pre-requisites for highway capacity and level of service analyses and formulation of effective traffic regulation and control measures. This is better done by modeling the system, which will enable the study of the influencing factors over a wide range. Computer simulation has emerged as an effective technique for modeling traffic flow due to its capability to account for the randomness related to traffic. This paper is concerned with application of a simulation model of heterogeneous traffic flow, named HETEROSIM, to study the relationships between traffic flow variables such as traffic volume and speed. Further, the model is also applied to quantify the vehicular interaction in terms of Passenger Car Equivalent (PCE) or Passenger Car Unit (PCU), taking a stretch of an intercity road in India as the case for the study. The results of the study, provides an insight into the complexity of the vehicular interaction in heterogeneous traffic.

This article focuses on relevant European Directives and decisions affecting ship-source pollution, such as (1) Directive 2005/35/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 September 2005 on shipsource pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements: and (2) Council Framework Decision 2005/667/JHA of 12 July 2005 to strengthen the criminal-law framework for the enforcement of the law against ship-source pollution. The vacuum created by the two judgments of the European Court of Justice in Cases C-176/03 and C-440/05 (both) Commission v. Council, annulling Council Framework Decision 2005/667/JHA, was filled in by Directive 2009/123/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 October 2009 amending Directive 2005/35/EC on ship-source pollution and on the introduction of penalties for infringements. The penalties introduced by the Directive cover offences committed by natural and legal persons. The purpose of this Directive is to incorporate international standards for ship-source pollution into European law and to ensure that persons responsible for discharges of polluting substances are subject to adequate penalties, including criminal penalties, in order to improve maritime safety and to enhance protection of the marine environment from pollution by ships.

This paper is based on an in-laboratory experiment and aims to explore the impact of various personality factors on route-choice behavior in the presence of partial pre-trip travel time information. Specifically, these factors are geographic ability and sensation seeking characteristics. The results show that while the variables related to perceived and realized travel times are important, the personality factors are also significant. Drivers with lower geographic abilities tended to use the main route more often and to switch their routes less often, compared to those with higher capabilities. Drivers who scored higher on sensation seeking tended to switch their routes more frequently, compared to other drivers.