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Express coaches: An up-hill battle after liberalization?
Get PDFExpress coach services have thrived in Norway following the stepwise liberalization that started in the mid-1990s. However, recent years have witnessed consolidation, stagnation, and, sometimes, decline in the Norwegian express coach market.
In this paper, we study this process of rapid growth which turned into gradual decline in Norway. Looking at factors contributing to this development, we investigate intermodal competition with local public transport, air, car and rail; and the effects of increased public-sector involvement - both as a passenger transport provider and as an infrastructure provider.
This paper relies on three data sources and methods: 1) National travel survey data2) Historical market dataand 3) Case studies.
Our main findings are that, following liberalization, express coach services were mainly established in markets underserved by other modes, where express coaches had lower operating costs as well as generalized costs than the available alternatives. These markets have gradually been provided with better alternative transport services: For the long-distance coach lines, competition from low-cost air carriers has been significant. For shorter lines, improved road infrastructure and rail services have increased competition by private cars and rail. Also, initiatives to increase and improve local public transport have impacted the express coach industry.acceptedVersio
Analyzing the deeper motivations for nature-based tourism facility demand: A hybrid choice model of preferences for a reindeer visitor center
Get PDFWildlife interpretive centers may increase the attractiveness of natural areas for visitors, provide local employment and income, and channel visitors to reduce wildlife disturbance. However, interpretive center success depends on understanding visitor preferences. This is facilitated by integrated analysis of individual characteristics, such as attitudes and demographic factors, and situational characteristics, such as interpretive center features. The current study integrates these characteristics via a hybrid choice model estimated with multi-level structural equation modeling in the context of prospective visits to a wild reindeer center in Norway. Results indicate that interpretive preferences vary, with foreigners prioritizing guided options more highly than do Norwegians. Neither sample prioritized technologically-intense media options. Both samples prioritized avoiding negative effects on wildlife habitat, with foreigners prioritizing it more highly. Connectedness to nature predicted preferences for visiting the interpretive center over not visiting. Consistent with the value-attitude hierarchy, intrinsic values predicted these preferences only indirectly, via connectedness. Comparison of the hybrid choice model with a basic multinomial logit model highlights the benefits of including latent variables to understand the “deeper structure” of preferences.submittedVersio
Framework conditions of occupational safety: Comparing Norwegian maritime cargo and passenger transport
Get PDFSeafaring is among the most hazardous occupations, and more knowledge is needed to inform preventive measures. One way of developing such knowledge is to compare different sub-sectors, to shed light on factors influencing occupational safety. Previous research has indicated a higher risk of serious occupational injuries in coastal cargo transport compared to passenger transport, hypothesizing that this could be due to the safety culture in coastal cargo transport. The aims of the present paper are to: (1) Compare organizational safety culture and working conditions in Norwegian cargo and passenger transport at sea, (2) Examine safety outcomes (safety behaviours and crewmember accidents) of safety culture and working conditions in the passenger and the cargo sector, and (3) discuss how safety culture and working conditions are influenced by the framework conditions of the the passenger and the cargo sector. The study is based on a small-scale survey to crewmembers on vessels registered in the Norwegian Ship Register (NOR), both at passenger vessels (N = 84) and coastal cargo vessels (N = 73). Results indicate that crew members in the coastal cargo sector experience more work pressure, and that they rate their organizational safety culture as lower than respondents in the passenger transport sector. Moreover, results indicate that work pressure and poor organizational safety culture are closely related to unsafe working behaviours, which in turn is associated with personal injuries on board. However, as a positive organizational safety culture is related to safer working behaviours, future research should examine how organizational safety culture can be employed to reduce the impact of negative framework conditions in maritime transport on occupational safety.acceptedVersio
A review of consumer preferences of and interactions with electric vehicle charging infrastructure
No full textcott Hardman, Alan Jenn, Gil Tal, Jonn Axsen, George Beard, Nicolo Daina, Erik Figenbaum, Niklas Jakobsson, Patrick Jochem, Neale Kinnear, Patrick Plötz, Jose Pontes, Nazir Refa, Frances Sprei, Tom Turrentine, Bert Witkamp, A review of consumer preferences of and interactions with electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, Volume 62, 2018, Pages 508-523, ISSN 1361-9209, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trd.2018.04.002.This paper presents a literature review of studies that investigate infrastructure needs to support the market introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs). It focuses on literature relating to consumer preferences for charging infrastructure, and how consumers interact with and use this infrastructure. This includes studies that use questionnaire surveys, interviews, modelling, GPS data from vehicles, and data from electric vehicle charging equipment. These studies indicate that the most important location for PEV charging is at home, followed by work, and then public locations. Studies have found that more effort is needed to ensure consumers have easy access to PEV charging and that charging at home, work, or public locations should not be free of cost. Research indicates that PEV charging will not impact electricity grids on the short term, however charging may need to be managed when the vehicles are deployed in greater numbers. In some areas of study the literature is not sufficiently mature to draw any conclusions from. More research is especially needed to determine how much infrastructure is needed to support the roll out of PEVs. This paper ends with policy implications and suggests avenues of future research.A review of consumer preferences of and interactions with electric vehicle charging infrastructureacceptedVersio
Recommend or mandate? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation
No full textAlena Hoye, Recommend or mandate? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation,
Accident Analysis & Prevention, Volume 120, 2018, Pages 239-249, ISSN 0001-4575, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2018.08.001.If all cyclistswere wearing helmets, significant numbers of head injuries might theoretically be prevented. Mandatory bicycle helmet legislation increases helmet use but is a controversial measure. Results from 21 studies of the effects of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation on injuries among crash involved cyclists were investigated by means of meta-analysis and the effects of several potential biases were investigated. The summary effect of mandatory bicycle helmet legislation for all cyclists on head injuries is a statistically significant reduction by 20% (95% confidence interval [−27; −13]). Larger effects were found for serious head injury (−55%; 95% confidence interval; [−78; −8]). Among children, larger effects were found when legislation applies to all cyclists than when it applies to children only. There is no clear indication of the results being affected by publication bias. Publication bias may exist, but any existing biases seem to more or less outweigh each other. Results from meta-analysis do not indicate that the results are systematically affected by a lack of control for time trend bias, choice of comparison group or study design (before-after vs. case control). Summary effects may be somewhat overestimated because of a lack of control for potential confounding variables in some of the studies. However, such a bias, if it exists, is not likely to be large. Empirical evidence for the hypotheses that mandatory bicycle helmet legislation deters people from cycling and that helmet wearing leads to behavioral adaptation is mixed. In summary, mandatory bicycle helmet legislation can be expected to reduce head injury among crash involved cyclists. Some adverse effects may occur, but will not necessarily be large or long-lasting. People who may be deterred from cycling, are among those with the highest injury risk and the smallest health effects from cycling. If the overall goal is to improve safety for all cyclists and to increase cycling, mandatory bicycle helmet legislation should be supplemented by other measures, especially improved bicycle infrastructure.Recommend or mandate? A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of mandatory bicycle helmet legislationacceptedVersio
Characteristics of fatal road crashes involving unlicensed drivers or riders: Implications for countermeasures
Get PDFDrivers or riders without a valid license are involved in 10% of fatal road crashes in Norway. This was shown by an analysis of data from all fatal crashes in the period 2005–2014. A literature review shows that unlicensed drivers have a considerably increased crash risk. Such crashes could be prevented by electronic driver authentication, i.e., a technical system for checking that a driver or rider has legal access to a vehicle before driving is permitted. This can be done by requiring the driver/rider to identify themselves with a national identity number and a unique code or biometric information before driving may commence. The vehicle thereafter verifies license availability and vehicle access by communication with a central register. In more than 80% of fatal crashes with unlicensed drivers/riders, speeding and/or drug influence contributed to the crash. This means that a majority of crashes with unlicensed drivers alternatively could be prevented by already available systems, such as alcolock and speed limit dependent speed adapters. These systems will have a wider influence, by preventing crashes also among licensed drivers. Mandatory implementation of alcolock, speed limiter, and electronic driver authentication in all motorized vehicles is estimated to prevent up to 28% of fatal road crashes, depending on effectiveness of the systems.acceptedVersio
Exploring length of stay: International tourism in south-western Norway
No full textExploring length of stay: International tourism in south-western NorwayThis article explored length of stay (LOS) in the context of tour planning, to assess as to whether LOS can be increased. LOS is an important parameter for tourism destination management, at the same time as evidence have suggested that LOS is declining on a global scale. The study was based on responses from 1592 foreign leisure travellers in south-western Norway, a region dominated by round-trips. The study uniquely explored aspects that influenced visitor planning of length of stay, finding that perceptions of time ‘needed’ for desired activities is the most important aspect of holiday duration planning, followed by limitations in the number of vacation days, holiday budgets and accommodation-related considerations. Visitors with a focus on the region, those with their own vehicles and those emphasising outdoor recreation and/or landscape sightseeing were likely to have longer stays. Findings suggested that destinations have potential to increase LOS. The paper additionally reflected on how identification of tourist segments with flexible time frames can contribute to destination management focused on LOS
How do economies of density in container handling operations affect ships’ time and emissions in port? Evidence from Norwegian container terminals
Get PDFEfficient port services are prerequisites for competitive and sustainable maritime transports. This paper makes advances in studying the determinants of the time that ships spend in port and the associated emissions to air. We estimate a production model for cargo handling based on a unique dataset containing each port of call at the largest container terminals in Norway in 2014. In turn, we use auxiliary engine emission factors to estimate particulate matter and nitrogen oxide emissions from ships at berth, to determine how the corresponding damage costs of air pollution vary with container throughput, location, and terminal investments. We find that Norwegian container terminals operate under increasing returns to density. Small ships that unload few containers are far from reaping economies of density, leading to high marginal time requirements for container handling and consequently high marginal external costs. From a Pigouvian taxation perspective, port charges should therefore be regressive in the number of containers handled. Moreover, we find that the external costs of maritime transports are severely understated when port operations are ignored. Our model allows determining the marginal productivities of port facilities. Thereby, it is instrumental in designing port charges that are diversified according to the quantity of containers handled and the service quality (i.e., the speed of handling operations). Regarding contextual factors, we find that establishing high-frequent liner services improves the ship working rate, while simultaneous calls at a terminal impede productivity. The type of container (loading/unloading; empty/laden) also appears to influence the duration of ship working.How do economies of density in container handling operations affect ships’ time and emissions in port? Evidence from Norwegian container terminalsacceptedVersio
Updated estimates of the relationship between speed and road safety at the aggregate and individual levels
Get PDFRecent studies of the relationship between the speed of traffic and road safety, stated as the number of fatalities and the number of injury accidents, are reviewed and their results synthesised by means of meta-analysis. All studies were based on data fully or partly for years after 2000. Previously proposed models of the relationship between the speed of traffic and road safety, including the Power Model and an Exponential Model, are supported. Summary estimates of coefficients show that the relationship between speed and road safety remains strong. The Power Model and the Exponential Model both fit the data very well. The relationship between speed and road safety is the same at the individual driver level as at the aggregate level referring to the mean speed of traffic.acceptedVersio
Public support of transport policy instruments, perceived transport quality and satisfaction with democracy. What is the relationship?
Get PDFLack of public support is regarded as a major barrier for implementing restrictive transport policy instruments. Recent studies have therefore analyzed factors explaining variations in public support and examined strategies to increase support of restrictive policy measures. However, few have analyzed whether there is an actual relationship between transportation policies and political legitimacy. This article thus makes two main contributions to the literature. First, it explores whether there is a relationship between support of restrictive instruments and political legitimacy to study the political implications of introducing such instruments. The results show that citizens opposing restrictive measures, such as local road tolls, are more dissatisfied with the performance of local democracy. The effect also appears to be mediated through citizens evaluation of politicians’ and how they evaluate governmental performance at the local level. Second, the article analyzes the importance of transportation policies in particular for local political legitimacy. The results show that citizens dissatisfied with the quality of services within the transport sector are also more dissatisfied with the performance of local democracy.acceptedVersio