DEMAND FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT IN THE NETHERLANDS

DE VRAAG NAAR OPENBAAR VERVOER

The last few years have shown increasing energy prices and growing deficits in government budgets. In this context the sensitivity to price changes of the demand for public transport seems to be of special interest. The question arises whether the large deficits of public transport can be diminished effectively by raising the fares. Another interesting question is how fuel prices affect the modal choice of members of car-owning households. The present article gives the results of an analysis of the demand for public transport based on aggregate time series data over the post-war period. Different demand functions were developed for railways, urban transport and inter-urban bus services. The specification that was chosen offered the possibility of implicitely estimating the shares of "captive" and "non-captive" passengers. The results in terms of price elasticities show that fare increases are an effective instrument to diminish deficits. Furthermore it was found that fuel prices only have a positive effect on the demand for public transport by rail. Growing car-ownership will in general make this mode of transport more sensitive to price changes. (Author/TRRL)

• Corporate Authors:

  Netherlands Institute of Transport

  Polakweg 13
  2288 GG Rijswijk,   Netherlands 
• Authors:
  • Roodenburg, H J
• Publication Date: 1983

Language

• Dutch

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 3-15
• Serial:
  • TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR VERVOERSWETENSCHAP
  • Volume: 19
  • Issue Number: 1

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobile ownership; Buses; Demand; Economic elasticity; Fares; Fuels; Intercity transportation; Mode choice; Motor vehicles; Operating costs; Ownership; Pricing; Public transit; Railroad transportation; Ridership; Tariffs; Transportation modes; Travel demand; Urban areas
• Uncontrolled Terms: Increase; Selection
• Geographic Terms: Netherlands
• ITRD Terms: 1272: Bus; 285: Demand (econ); 3850: Fuel; 9032: Increase; 388: Inter urban; 8078: Netherlands; 221: Operating costs; 744: Public transport; 1173: Rail bound transport; 9072: Selection; 241: Tariff; 1145: Transport mode; 313: Urban area; 315: Vehicle ownership
• Subject Areas: Economics; Energy; Finance; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; Public Transportation; Railroads; I72: Traffic and Transport Planning;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00382774
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Institute for Road Safety Research, SWOV
• Files: ITRD, TRIS
• Created Date: Apr 30 1984 12:00AM