TY - JOUR
T1 - Restructuring public transit systems
T2 - Evidence on cost properties from medium and large-sized companies
AU - Cambini, Carlo
AU - Piacenza, Massimiliano
AU - Vannoni, Davide
N1 - Funding Information:
ern University, Boston, April 7–9, 2006, the 33rd Annual Conference of the European Association for Research in Industrial Economics (EARIE), University of Amsterdam, Faculty of Economics and Econometrics, August 25–27, 2006, and the 53rd North American Regional Science Conference (NARSC 2006), McMaster University, Toronto, November 16–18, 2006, where earlier versions of this paper were presented. The financial support of HERMES and MIUR (PRIN 2004) is gratefully acknowledged.
PY - 2007/11
Y1 - 2007/11
N2 - This paper analyses the cost structure of a sample of local public transport companies operating in medium and large urban centres in Italy in order to identify the proper network configuration for the service. Technological characteristics of public transit systems are analysed by estimating both variable and total cost function models. The evidence shows the presence of short-run and long-run economies of scale, as well as of economies of network density. This suggests that a suitable network design should at least include a large urban centre, while a regulatory policy aimed at fragmenting the served area would imply an efficiency loss.
AB - This paper analyses the cost structure of a sample of local public transport companies operating in medium and large urban centres in Italy in order to identify the proper network configuration for the service. Technological characteristics of public transit systems are analysed by estimating both variable and total cost function models. The evidence shows the presence of short-run and long-run economies of scale, as well as of economies of network density. This suggests that a suitable network design should at least include a large urban centre, while a regulatory policy aimed at fragmenting the served area would imply an efficiency loss.
KW - Network configuration
KW - Public transit systems
KW - Regulation
KW - Scale and density economies
KW - Variable and total cost function
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=41149131892&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s11151-007-9153-9
DO - 10.1007/s11151-007-9153-9
M3 - Article
SN - 0889-938X
VL - 31
SP - 183
EP - 203
JO - Review of Industrial Organization
JF - Review of Industrial Organization
IS - 3
ER -
