Ecmt Round Tables Transport And Spatial Policies The Role Of Regulatory And Fiscal Incentives

This ECMT Round Table contains four papers that show how a disconnect between tranport policy planning and spatial policy planning and measures have curtailed the effectiveness of transport policy.

This ECMT Round Table contains four papers that show how a disconnect between tranport policy planning and spatial policy planning and measures have curtailed the effectiveness of transport policy.

This publication contains reports from Germany (by A Priebs and A Dittrich-Wesbuer), the USA (by S Handy), Italy (by C. Sessa) and the UK (by D Banister), each giving a perspective on the interaction between transport and spatial policies in their respective countries. The summary to the meeting indicates that the tensions between transport policies and spatial policies concerns the interrelationship between urban form or urban development and transport. a joint objective of transport and spatial policies shoould be to minimise mobility for a given level of accessibility. The advantages of nearness are discussed. The principles of urban transport policy have been translated into taxation and pricing policies on the one hand and regulatory policies on the other, which aim at increasing the density or compactness of cities, coupled with measures to increase technical capacity in order to reduce the environmental costs of private car use. The monocentric and polycentric city are described and the role and nature of subcentres in old and new urban areas is considered. Dispersal of job adds to the complexity of commuting travel. Spatial policies and their impact on transport policy, and vice versa, are discussed. Futher study of policies to reduce urban transport and private car use are likely to increase urban land rents which may induce unintended polycentricity of urban areas and an increase in leisure and commuting travel. The costs of public transport may also increase. Taxation of newly-developed land and subsidy for housing around urban centres could reduce decentralisation. The integration of planning across jurisdictions is also considered important.

The ECMT Round Table examines the effects and limitations of regulating transport services and examines in particular the factors that necessitate regulation, the role of transaction costs, and the cost of regulation.

This Round Table presents three papers focusing on the evolution of international transport costs over the past decades and the benefits expected from investment in transport facilities and the reduction of the costs of crossing borders.

This Round Table examines the basic case for liberalisation of the taxi industry, and reviews experiences with taxi (de-)regulation in OECD and ECMT member countries.

This Round Table addresses the macroeconomic effects of transport infrastructure policies, and aimed at identifying tools that could determine the overall volume of public expenditure for transport infrastructure investment. It also identifies methods for assessing macroeconomic impact.

Examines the circumstances under which decentralisation has brought economic and other benefits in the transport sector.