Álvaro Costa

EVALUATING PUBLIC TRANSPORT EFFICIENCY WITH NEURAL NETWORK MODELS

This paper is concerned with measuring performance of public transport services based on the concept of productive efficiency. A new nonparametric approach is proposed based on multi-layer perceptron neural networks (MLPs). The advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed and compared with those of mathematical programming and econometric techniques. The MLP is used, along with data envelopment analysis (DEA) and corrected least squares (COLS), to set out comparative annual efficiency measures for the London Underground, for the period 1970 to 1994. It is argued that the MLP approach is superior to traditionally applied techniques since it is both nonparametric and stochastic and offers greater flexibility. Finally, it is demonstrated that the proposed MLP efficiency analysis has important practical implications for decision making.

The organisation of urban public transport systems in Western European metropolitan areas

The structure-conduct-performance paradigm is applied to organisation change in urban public transport in Western Europe, to show how structural form affects public transport conduct and performance. This paper outlines organisation changes in several Western European metropolitan areas, with reference to four common structural forms, and indicates expected changes in market conduct and performance.

Definition of a Set of Indicators to Evaluate the Performance of Urban Goods Distribution Initiatives

City distribution plays a key role in supporting urban lifestyles, helping to serve and retain industrial and trading activities, and contributing to the competitiveness of regional industry. Despite these positive effects, it also generates negative (economic, environmental and social) impacts on cities worldwide. Relatively little attention has been paid to these issues by researchers and policymakers until recently. The analyses found in City Distribution and Urban Freight Transport aim to improve knowledge in this important area by recognizing and evaluating the problems, with a focus on urban freight transport systems.

Ability to Recover Full Costs through Price Discrimination in Deregulated Scheduled Air Transport Markets

Abstract The regulatory reforms of domestic airline markets and regional markets such as the Europe Economic Area and the increased number of Open Skies agreements have led to a move away from the administrative structure of fare setting to one dominated by market forces. Within this latter framework the initial market power and price leadership exercised by former flag carriers and charter airlines is gradually being eroded by the emergence of low‐cost carriers among other factors. A major problem encountered in supplying pre‐committed scheduled services in a competitive market is that of full cost recovery. It has been argued, mainly from studies using aggregate data, that the ability of major carriers to recover fixed costs has deteriorated in deregulated markets as barometric price leadership is replacing that of dominant firm price leadership. This paper uses disaggregate data to examine the pattern of fares set by airlines as they sell seats up to the time of departure of a service. In particular, it analyses the impact of the entrance of low‐cost carriers into a small country—Portugal—focusing on the changes that are occurring in Lisbon and Porto airports. As such it looks at the way the price of a particular product—an airline service—varies in different market environments and whether price discrimination (yield‐management) is any longer a viable approach to full cost recovery.

Problems of cost recovery by European airlines since market liberalization

Abstract The institutional background against which air transport is supplied has been changing rapidly. The initiation of market forces has led to lower fares, additional services, and more efficient airline companies as competitive pressures have grown. A major concern, however, is whether the resultant airline market is sustainable in the long-term. There have been periodic short-term shocks to the market, the most recent being the rapid rise in kerosene prices, but there are more fundamental issues concerning the possibility of excess competition being a generic feature of providing scheduled services in a competitive environment. Market stability is not easily tested, but some indicators can be explored to get better insights. Here we examine the fares offered in selected Portuguese air transport markets for 2005–2006 to assess the ability of carriers to recover their full costs – a necessary condition for stability. In particular, the paper is concerned with the pressures of competition on the ability of airlines to increase the fares that they offer as the scheduled date of departure approaches; such fares contribute significantly to an airlines recovery of full costs. The evidence suggests that in many cases airlines cannot, when confronted by competition, extract additional revenues from last minute, low-price elasticity passengers and that this could reduce the economic sustainability of some services in Europe.

The Cost and Effectiveness of Sustainable City Logistics Policies Using Small Electric Vehicles

Originality/value When considering the goal of promoting SEV as a sustainable city logistics policy, under a methodology focused on mobility, operational performance, and environmental externalities, the authors concluded (a) the replacement rate SEV:van is determinant to make a decision on whether or not to use SEVs replacing vans, (b) SEVs are economically competitive with conventional vans if the replacement rate is 1:1, (c) SEVs have a better performance at the street level rather than at the city level, (d) SEVs can be used with normal traffic as a niche of market (lower than 5%), and (e) SEVs benefits exist, but they are not significant enough to drive suppliers for their adoption.

Relationships between Goods Distribution and Public Transport in Urban Areas--The Case of a Hypermarket in Porto

Abstract The behaviour of the key stakeholders in city logistics, as defined in Taniguchi et al. (2001) (e.g. shippers, residents, freight carriers and administrators), can be affected by the decisions taken by other stakeholders. The case presented in this paper reports on the result of a bus line extension up to the main entry of hypermarket in Porto Metropolitan Area. Passengers reported changes in their shopping habits and senior people reported the utilisation of the home delivery service for the first time after the line extension. It appears that the existence of home delivery service provided by the hypermarket contributes to the increase of the patronage in public transport.