In an effort to reduce operating deficits, increase productivity, and improve the quality of services, the public transit sector has been moving away from public ownership and operation and towards a franchising arrangement whereby a local government authorizes a private firm to manage and...

If one is asked to give an appraisal of airport development in metropolitan areas in Japan, an unsparing critic may not esteem it highly for three reasons. One, because planning for the secondary airport at Tokyo and Osaka was initiated too late to match growth in demand. Two, due to untimely...

American driving habits are changing. After decades of steady increases in the amount of driving, the number of vehicles, and the extent of licensed drivers, there now appears to be a shift. The growth is clearly leveling off, and dropping on a per capita basis, even at a time when a vast array...

This paper examines the issue of financing infrastructure investment projects. It looks closely at what the market failures are that mean the private sector has not been able to cover the investment requirement itself. It will then assess the government failures associated with intervention, and...

The global airline industry is slowly returning to profitability, but there is a long and difficult road ahead. According to IATA, the industry raised a profit of $8 billion in 20112 and it is forecasted to make a profit of $11 billion in 2013.3 However, these improved profit margins continue to...

Electric vehicles (EVs) could play a central role in decarbonising road transport. But this new type of electricity load will need careful management. Although electricity needs for EVs are likely to remain small relative to overall load in most regions for many years to come, they could have a...

It is necessary to understand logistics performance at the country level in order to better evaluate and target Trade and Transport Facilitation (TTF) policy efforts over time and across countries. Lower costs for logistics reduce the cost of delivering products, thereby encouraging sales,...