International Transport Forum Policy Briefs

Policy Briefs

October 2012
Towards Seamless Public Transport

As public transport undergoes transformations towards achieving more seamlessness, our latest Policy Brief, following our joint seminar with the Korean Transport Institute, examines considerations from the user, operator, and governmental point of view. Policy-relevant conclusions presented here include:
- new opportunities opened by e-ticketing;
- universal payments enabled by bank account-based ticketing;
- 'virtuous circle' enabled by network design;
- importance of institutional coordination.

Read the full Policy Brief (free download)

July 2012
Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles: Made for each other?

Electric vehicles are a potentially significant route towards low-carbon transport but widespread adoption of e-mobility will lead to greater consumption of electricity. Existing electricity systems will need to be reconfigured to meet these needs if reliance on fossil fuels is not to increase. This Policy Brief looks at the potential of Smart Grids and electric vehicles to change and improve electricity systems worldwide.

Read the full Policy Brief (free download)

June 2012
Electric Cars: Ready for prime time?

Should electric cars receive subsidies – or “primes” – in order to help countries reduce oil dependence, greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution … and if so, when? This Policy Brief highlights evidence on the costs to consumers and society of purchasing battery electric cars instead of equivalent fossil-fuelled cars and assesses the justification for purchase subsidies. It is based on detailed cost comparison for vehicles currently on sale in the French market and discusses the impact of the €5 000 “prime” for electric cars.

Read the full Policy Brief (free download)

See also:

Electric Vehicles Revisited – Costs, Subsidies and Prospects, Discussion Paper No 2012-03, April 2012

Smart Grids and Electric Vehicles: Made for Each Other?, Discussion Paper No 2012-02, April 2012

April 2012

Making Reliability Part of Transport Policy

Most of us face unreliable travel services in our daily lives. Unexpected delays make us miss a train or arrive late for work. Whether for business meetings, social events or deliveries of goods, reliability is a key quality of seamless transport. A review of policies in OECD countries shows, however, that only few countries explicitly incorporate reliability into transport policy making. The Policy Brief outlines the findings of research undertaken at the International Transport Forum.

Read the full Policy Brief (free download)

See also:

Improving Reliability on Surface Transport Networks, OECD/International Transport Forum, 2010 (pdf)

Improving Reliability on Surface Transport Networks. Executive Summary

International Meeting on Travel Time Reliability - World View and SHRP2, Washington D.C., 23 January 2011

Incorporating Reliability into Cost-Benefit Assessment: State of Practice and Recent Developments (Presentation at TRB, Washington D.C., January 2012)

April 2012

Building the "Internet of Things"

The latest Policy Brief from the Forum takes a look at liberalising the telecoms market to maximise the benefits of increased connectivity between devices. The Policy Brief highlights the implications of such reforms for the transport sector.

Read the full Policy Brief (free download)

See also:

Machine to Machine (M2M) communication: Connecting billions of devices
(OECD Digital Economy Paper No. 192) 2012

"The Internet of things" Related blog post

October 2011

Do car scrapping schemes help the environment and increase safety?

Scrappage programmes aimed to stimulate spending during a downturn in car sales as a result of the economic recession. Many governments introduced incentive schemes, offering consumers cash or discounts for trading in their old car for a new one. Besides aiming to bolster demand, claims of environmental and safety benefits were associated with such schemes to enhance their attractiveness.

But what was the exact impact for environment and safety? And could it have been even stronger? This Policy Brief presents the results of an in-depth study that comes to some interesting conclusions.

Read the full Policy Brief (free download)

The study follows our Think Tank‘s 1999 work, highlighting the high cost of addressing envrionmental goals through such schemes.

See also:

Car Fleet Renewal Schemes: Environmental and Safety Impacts. France, Germany and the United States
(ITF/FIA, 2011)

Cleaner Cars: Fleet Renewal and Scrappage Schemes. Guide to Good Practice. (ECMT 1999)